Top tips for fast charging

As a record number of electric vehicles (EVs) hit the roads in Moreton Bay and beyond, 'charging etiquette’ is now in the spotlight.

Demand as grown at charging stations after 9.65 per cent of new car sales in 2024 were battery electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV).

That was, up from 8.45 per cent in 2023 when there were 98,000 new EV sales in Australia - a figure beaten last year with 114,000 (91,000 BEVs, 23,000 PHEVs) sales.

Queensland’s Electric Vehicles Snapshot shows, in September, City of Moreton Bay had eight per cent (up from seven in March 2024) of this state's BEV registrations, behind Brisbane (45) and Gold Coast (15).

Electric Vehicle Council Head of Legal, Policy and Advocacy, Aman Gaur said a record number of EVs will be accessing public chargers in the holidays.

“For many, this will be their first holiday road trip behind the wheel of an EV, navigating the best ways to charge along the way,” he said.

“Some of our top tips for EV charging etiquette are: don’t overstay your charge, leave home with a full battery, and be courteous to your fellow EV drivers.”

EV charging etiquette:

- Leave home with a full charge and charge up where you're staying before heading home if you can. This will reduce the amount you need to use public fast chargers and create more availability for others.

- Check with your accommodation provider about charging there. If they don’t have a policy around EV charging, offer to pay a bit more. The ability to charge where you’re staying is a huge convenience.

- Don’t overstay your charge. When using public chargers, take what you need, then make space for the next driver, especially if there’s a queue. Topping up to 80 per cent will take less time than 100 per cent, as the charging rate slows as battery gets close to full.

- Be kind. There’s more than 100,000 new EVs on our roads this year, with some drivers set to use public fast chargers for the first time this summer holiday. If someone needs help understanding how it works, offer to lend a hand.

- Look after the charging equipment. Put the charging equipment back as you found it to avoid damage and for the next person’s ease. If the unit is damaged or impaired, report it immediately to the charge point operator.

Moreton Bay now has more than 40 public and fast-power charging stations. North Lakes is most popular with 16,952 sessions since 2017.

That accounted for eight per cent of sessions in the state, behind Hamilton – which was decommissioned last year - on 23,724, but ahead of Slacks Creek 14,073.