Although destination chargers have long been free, you may have to pay to use them in the future. Evie chargers cost 60c per kWh when using a 350kW charger and 40c per kWh when using a 50kW charger. Pricing may differ depending on the station.
The most you are likely to pay at a public EV charging station is about $40 for a full charge. The cost of charging from the ultra-rapid Chargefox network, for example, ranges from free to 40c per kWh. Slower public chargers typically cost about 25c per kWh.
The cheapest way to charge your electric vehicle would be to rely completely on free charging points, but this might not be the most convenient. You'll often find that only slow or fast chargers are free of charge, and you might not fancy hanging around in public for long enough to get a full charge on a regular basis.
The UK has thousands of free electric charge points, commonly found in shopping centres, public car parks, hotels, restaurants, and service stations.
Charging an EV at home is usually the cheapest way to go, though you may incur some added costs to make the process more efficient. Depending on the type of public charging station you use, replenishing the battery on the road can either be free or surprisingly costly.
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles have a registration duty rate of 2% (compared to 4 cylinder vehicles which have a registration duty rate of 3%). Battery electric vehicles attract the lowest level of registration.
Provider Evie, charges $0.60 per kilowatt hour for ultra-fast charging (up to 350kW), or $0.40 per kilowatt hour for fast charging (up to 50kW).
Is electric car charging free at supermarkets? Yes, it's free at some supermarkets. Supermarkets with free EV charging points include: Sainsbury's, Lidl and Aldi. Pod Point is the network provider and free charging is mostly on its fast 7/22kW chargers.
Life Expectancy
Generally, electric vehicle batteries last 10-20 years, but some factors may reduce their lifespan. For instance, batteries may degrade faster in hotter climates as heat does not pair well with EVs.
These sites are rolling out now with a price of 55c per kWh – the first located in Melbourne's outer north-east.
When using a 22kW fast charger, a battery can be recharged to full in between four and seven hours, while a faster 50kW fast charger drastically reduces that time to 80 per cent in around an hour.
Tesla Model 3
Public charging stations offer a range of ways to pay, often via a special card or payment app on your phone. That said, many chargers increasingly feature contactless technology, meaning you can pay with an ordinary debit or credit card.
Tesla supercharge stations only service Tesla vehicles due to a Tesla proprietary plug.
Destination chargers are free to use by all Tesla drivers who are customers of the destinations where points are located. The Fast chargers – typically 22kW – are intended to top up the Teslas over the course of several hours, as opposed to the high power 120kW or 150 kW Superchargers.
Cost. Installation pricing can vary depending on your home charging hardware and electrical system. A straightforward installation can range from $750 - $1,500.
And for years, and for good reason, only Tesla EVs have been allowed to charge at these supercharging sites. That's now set to change with new upcoming Tesla supercharger sites in some parts of Australia to allow non-Tesla EVs to charge there too.
Range: 560 km (350 miles)
The Tesla Model 3 Long Range allows you to travel 560 km (350 miles) on one battery charge. It has the ability to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in 4.8 seconds and offers high-tech features.
EVs are cheaper to run
EVs are significantly cheaper to run, including fuel savings of up to 70% and maintenance savings of around 40%. For an average car travelling 13,700 km per year, this could amount to an annual fuel saving of $1000, or $1200 if the EV is able to charge overnight on an off-peak tariff.
There are a range of unique hurdles to EV adoption in Australia, from the lack of infrastructure in the form of public recharging stations to the limited range, higher initial price of the cars and a lack of government (at all levels) subsidies to help offset the cost.
Interstate EV travel is possible, but until the infrastructure catches up, it's far from enjoyable. We asked Hyundai Australia to help us understand a few of the driving range and charging speed inconsistencies experienced during our interstate trip.
Your mileage is directly dependent on your battery capacity. Most EVs can generally travel 3 to 4 miles per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of energy. A full recharge, if your vehicle's range is 300 miles, would require 75-100 kWh and cost $10-$14.
According to the EPA's figures, the average EV uses 34.7 kilowatts per hour to traverse 100 miles, which translates into $15 at the above per-kilowatt rate, versus less than $4.00 with home charging.
The good news here is that quality electric batteries can last a long time, with most electric car batteries driving 200,000-300,000 miles before needing to be replaced. The bad news is that when you do need to replace them, electric batteries can run you between $4,000 and $20,000.