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Charging your EV

Don't let 'range anxiety' stop you from making the switch to an electric vehicle. Install your own EV charger at home or charge your electric car on Australia's longest connected EV highway right here in WA. There's never been a better time to make the switch to an EV when you live in regional WA.

Installing a charger at home

To charge your EV at home you will need a EV charging point installed. For Level 2 (2.4kW to ≤23kW) or Level 3 (greater than 23kW) EV chargers, your electrical contractor will have to apply to EV Connect.

EV Connect gives us visibility into large power connections enabling us to maintain the stability and reliability of our networks.

 

Decide what type of charger you need

There are three levels of chargers, Level 2 is the most common type for home and public chargers. Learn more about chargers and the time it takes to charge your EV below.

Consult with an electrical contractor

A licensed contractor will be able to help with your installation and will make sure you adhere to any technical standards. 

Your contactor applies to connect

Your electrical contractor submits an application to connect your charger. Level 2 chargers are automatically approved, and our team assess Level 3 chargers.

Charging with Plugshare

PlugShare is a great tool that is free to use and lets EV drivers see up-to-date information on all the EV charging stations, along with details about how fast they are and what type of plug they use. Plugshare even has a useful trip planning function that will show you the EV chargers on specific routes.

  

How long does it take to charge an EV?

Charging an electric vehicle is easy -  depending on the level of the charger and model of EV the time to charge can vary.

Slow
Level 1 charging

Level 1 chargers are your basic power outlet in the wall. They are the slowest type of charging and best used when you only need to top your EV up. 

If you’re not driving much, or don’t plan to drive every day - then the slow charger should be enough to get you where you need to go. 

Fast
Level 2 charging

The most common type for homes or public chargers. They use a dedicated electrical circuit to charge an EV much faster than a standard power outlet. 

Level 2 chargers use the EV’s on-board charger speed which can range from 2.4kW – 23kW. Perfect for coming home and plugging in to fully charge overnight.

Rapid
Level 3 charging

The fastest category also known as ‘rapid' chargers. They bypass an EVs on-board charger, using direct current (DC) to directly charge an EV.

That means the higher the capacity of the level 3 charger - the faster an EV will charge. 

Pick your plug: charger types

Electric vehicles need to plug in to charge. But like mobile phones, not every plug is the same. Knowing the basic types of plugs means that when you need to use an EV charging station, you’ll be confident it will have the right type of plug for your electric car. 

  • Type 1: ‘J1772’ AC charging plug
    This type of plug is the standard used in North America and Japan. It is found on many of the EV charging stations in Australia, as many of the EVs sold in Australia before 2018 used this plug type. If an electric car doesn’t have a Type 1 plug built in, many times they can still charge at a Type 1 charging station if using an adaptor.
  • Type 2: 'Mennekes' AC charging plug
    The Type 2 or ‘Mennekes’ plug is the standard plug type in Australia for electric vehicles from 2018 onwards. Type 2 plugs have 7 pins and are compatible with charging from AC chargers. If an EV has a Type 2 plug but needs to charge using a Type 1 charging station (or vice versa) then a Type 2 to Type 1 adaptor can be used.
  • CCS1 Rapid DC charging plug
    CCS plugs are also called ‘combo’ plugs – that’s because they have a combination shaped plug – with the top portion of CCS Type 1 plugging into the ‘Type 1’ AC port, and the bottom portion having two additional ‘DC’ connectors. If an electric vehicle was sold in Australia before 2018, it may have a CCS Type 1 plug for rapid charging.
  • CCS2 Rapid DC charging Plug
    This is a newer type ‘combo’ plug. Similar to its CCS Type 1 cousin, the CCS Type 2 has a top portion of the plug that fits into the ‘Type 2’ AC port, with an additional two connectors on the bottom portion that enable the DC charging.
  • Chademo Rapid DC charging plug

    This plug standard is also common across Australian fast chargers – with many electric car owners having a CHAdeMO to CCS Type 1/Type 2 adaptor to allow them to charge at rapid chargers using this standard.

    This plug type is the standard used by many Japanese vehicle brands.

    The abbreviation is actually short for ‘ChArge de Move’.

Tips on charging etiquette

As EVs become more popular, there’s more demand on charging points. So it’s important for drivers to be considerate when using public chargers. Here are a few key things to remember. 

If you’re not driving a plug-in EV don’t park in the charging bay

Don't 'ice a charger' by taking up a bay you don't need. If you don't have an EV or don't need to charge, stay out of the charging bay so others can use it. 

Don't overdo it on a rapid charger

Rapid chargers can quickly recharge an EV battery and are still relatively rare. That means there is an even higher demand for vehicles using this type of charger. If you plug your car into a rapid charger, make sure you keep an eye on it and don't stay longer than required.

Don’t unplug someone else’s vehicle

Most electric vehicles will automatically lock the charging cable, preventing someone else from unplugging the vehicle while it’s charging. But if this isn't the case, you shouldn’t remove another person's cable.

If it's not working, always report it

If you find a public chargerthat isn't working, always report it to the charger operator and plugshare.com. Then other EV drivers will be able to safely plan trips and not be caught out by a faulty charger.

The WA EV Network

We've built Australia’s longest connected EV highway – 110 charging point in 49 locations – right here in WA. There's never been a better time to make the switch to electric. 

Find out more

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