A Guide: should I buy an electric car?
If you’re thinking about buying an electric car, we can understand why.
They don’t have an exhaust, so no smelly fumes.
So quiet and zippy too.
And we love having ‘electric picnics’ where we take our toastie maker to the beach, plug it into the car and make melted cheese toasties for lunch in the carpark.
But the best part of all is driving past all the petrol stations.
An ‘electric picnic’ at South Arm, Tasmania. Toasties powered by the car battery, which is powered by the sunshine!
Before buying our electric vehicle (EV), we spent hours reading reviews, researching options and scouring obscure facebook groups for information on different cars and options.
Read more about our electric tradie van in our blog ‘the electric electrician.’
Buying an EV is such a huge purchase. And there is so much misinformation out there, which can be really confusing to navigate.
We want to share some of the resources we found with you, to save you some time if you’re on the same journey.
Why an electric vehicle and why now?
Electrification of the transport sector will play a key role in our transition away from fossil fuels.
Currently the transport sector makes up almost 20% of Australia’s emissions. Without intervention, it is projected to be Australia’s largest source of emissions by 2030.
Urgent action is needed to change this trajectory.
For those of us in Tassie, transport is Tasmania’s second highest emitting sector (after agriculture). Tasmania is also the second most car-dependent state in Australia.
Reducing emissions urgently in the transport sector is an urgent priority for us because:
the technology is already available and ready to be deployed
it is becoming more affordable and economically feasible, and
it will have a high impact on reducing our overall emissions.
Of course, the quickest way to reduce emissions in the transport sector is to use active and public transport. This is a great option for some people, but it is not accessible or available to everyone.
For those of us who need a car, replacing diesel and petrol vehicles with electric as soon as possible is a great way to help decarbonise the transport sector.
When electric vehicles are charged from clean energy like solar or hydro power, they significantly reduce our emissions. You can compare the lifecycle emissions of different models of cars on the Electric Vehicle Council website, link here.
This is the case even when mining and manufacture of the car battery is taken into account.
Which EV is best?
There are so many great EV options, and more and more models to choose from all the time.
It is worth considering which option best meets your needs, as they are all slightly different.
We definitely prefer battery electric vehicles (BEVs) over plug in hybrid (PHEV), mainly because BEVs are the future.
We also love cars with vehicle to load (V2L). This means that you can use the car battery to power a normal appliance (like a toastie maker for electric picnics).
We also use V2L to charge power tools if they run out of power on an electrical job.
V2L can also provide an important community resilience function, as the car is essentially a huge transportable battery.
The Guardian reported earlier this year that a woman in Queensland used her electric car to power her child’s dialysis machine during power blackouts during the floods (click on the pic below for a link to the full article).
There are more and more stories like this emerging.
The Guardian reported recently that EV batteries were used during the recent Queensland floods to power a dialysis machine during long power outages.
Where do I find more information?
The most current list of EV models available in Australia is on the Australian Electric Vehicle Association website, here.
The Electric Vehicle Council is also a great resource. Their website also lists the new EVs currently available in Australia.
And there are sooo many Facebook groups out there (try Nissan Leaf Owners Australia, BYD Owners Australia, Tesla Owners Australia etc etc)
We suggest searching Facebook for the car you’re interested in and joining relevant groups for some ‘expert reviews’ and plenty of different perspectives and advice.
Some things to consider
Cost and incentives
While EVs may have a higher upfront cost than traditional vehicles, they can offer long-term savings on fuel and maintenance. Check out the cost savings calculator on Good Car Co website.
You can also crunch the numbers on the total cost of EV ownership on the EV council's website.
Government incentives, tax credits, and rebates can significantly offset the initial cost and make your EV more affordable. These will depend on your state and territory.
As EV sales are increasing in Australia, there are finally some more affordable options available.
And the second hand EV market is just kicking off (check out the growing range of electric options on websites like carsales).
The following factors will also continue to reduce the price of EVs:
government fleets are transitioning to electric, then these vehicles are upgraded and enter the second hand market
price of batteries is going down generally as the technology becomes more widely adopted, and
and fuel efficiency standards commencing in Australia in 2025 will encourage more options.
We can’t wait to see more affordable EVs available in Australia.
Battery life and maintenance
Understanding the lifespan and warranty of an EV battery is crucial.
Battery health is the key as it is the most expensive part of an EV.
Battery degradation is a natural process that permanently reduces the amount of energy a battery can store, or the amount of power it can deliver.
Different cars use different battery technology, which means that they have different rates of degradation. The technology is improving as we speak, so batteries are getting more affordable and longer lasting.
On average, EV batteries degrade at a rate of 2.3% of maximum capacity per year, so with proper care you can expect your EV battery to last as long or longer than petrol or diesel engine parts.
There are also legitimate concerns about sustainability of the battery manufacturing industry, and questions about whether EVs are actually greener in the long run.
EVs powered by clean energy have much lower lifecycle emissions than a petrol or diesel alternative.
And the battery recycling industry in Australia is starting to grow.
However, as we transition to clean energy and an electrified transport sector, it will be really important to ensure repair and recycling of batteries is a priority, that the material sourcing and manufacturing processes are sustainable, and also that there is an ethical supply chain.
Vehicle type and features
With an increasing range of EV models available, features will depend on your lifestyle and preferences.
Factors such as interior space, boot capacity, safety features, and technological things like advanced driver-assistance systems or sound systems might be important to you.
We’ve talked about vehicle to load (V2L) already above, but there has also been lots of talk recently about cars with vehicle to grid (V2G).
This means that the EV’s battery can connect directly to the grid. In theory, V2G means you can use your EV battery to power your whole house, or sell power from your battery back to the grid during peak power usage times when prices are high (in the evenings for example).
Some cars (newer model Nissan Leafs for example) can do this already.
The only problem is that the grid in Australia isn't ready yet for widespread use of this technology. And a special charger is needed, which is still prohibitively expensive and not yet available in Australia.
V2G is probably where we are heading, but we are not there yet.
Range
Do you need to travel long distances frequently? Or do you usually just zip around town?
The majority of Australians drive on average 38 kms per day, so many EVs will have enough range to drive for at least a week without needing to recharge.
If you mostly take short trips in your car, you might not need an EV with a huge range (which will save you $$$).
The range of an EV refers to the number of kilometres it can travel on a full battery, before the battery runs out and needs to be recharged. The larger the battery size in the car, the more power it can hold and store, and the further it can travel between charging sessions.
Current EV battery sizes range from 24kwh (can drive about 110 kilometres) to 80kwh (can drive about 500 kilometres).
It is also important to remember that the range of an EV can change depending on a lot of different factors, like whether the car has regenerative braking (which means the ability to recharge the battery when the brake is used).
And similar to a petrol or diesel car, driving up a mountain carrying a car full of kids with tents on the roof and bikes on the back is going to use more power (and so lower the range) than a trip down the mountain in an empty car!
Insurance
It is still early days in the electric transport transition in Australia, and so some insurance providers are charging a premium to insure EVs.
We suggest shopping around until you get a decent price. After a few phone calls, we managed to find decent options that are comparable to insuring petrol and diesel cars.
The above mentioned Facebook groups can be informative and provide details about affordable insurance options for different cars.
Charging EVs at home
Most people charge their electric vehicles at home, because it is easy, convenient and affordable.
Here are some options to consider.
Use the ‘granny charger’ that comes with the EV
All EVs should come with a basic charger cable (granny charger) that is compatible with the car.
This option is cheap, easy and sloooow!
The granny charger plugs into a normal power point at one end, and the car’s charging port at the other end.
If you need to use an extension lead, make sure that it is an ‘extra heavy duty’ one and follow all manufacturer’s instructions. The lead or cable needs to handle lots of power drawing through it into the car over a long period of time without getting hot and starting a fire….
The granny charger will charge the car at around 1.8 kw per hour. One hour of charging will give you about 15km of driving. A 60kwh battery will take around 30 hours to charge from empty to full.
Install a home charger
This option is much faster. We used our granny charger for a year, but eventually decided we needed a faster and smarter option.
A home charger costs between $500-$2000 depending on the model, brand and features. It also needs to be installed by a licensed electrician (like us!), so all up it costs a fair bit more than just using a granny charger plugged into a normal powerpoint.
In general, the cost of installation will depend on where you want the charger installed. The closer it is to the home switchboard the easier (and cheaper) the install will be.
Check out the huuuuuge trench in the video below that we had to dig to run the cables safely from our home switch board to install our EV charger close to our car park…
These chargers can charge a car at a minimum of 7kw per hour, which will give you around 45km of driving per hour of charge. A 60kw battery takes about 8 hours to fully charge.
Some ‘smart’ chargers can be programmed to only use excess solar power, or charge overnight when the power price is lower.
Chargers can come with a cable attached (tethered), or you can buy cable separately (untethered; see more information on cables below).
Home video of the huuuuuge trench we had to dig so that we could install our EV charger for This is Electric close to our work van. Not all installations are this hard!
We specialise in EV charger installations and repairs (link to our EV charging services page is here), so get in touch with us if you would like a charger install quote or would like to chat about your options.
Public charging
We generally charge our EV at home from our solar power, but we do need to use public charging options sometimes, on longer trips away from home.
The easiest way to find public charging options is visit the Plugshare website (or download their app).
Plugshare has a map of all public chargers, explains what type of charger they are (see more info below) and allows people to ‘check in’ to the charger so other drivers know if it is occupied.
If you need to plan a long trip, it can be helpful to work out where the best places to stop and charge will be. Check out A Better Route Planner for this.
Some public charging etiquette tips:
disconnect and move your EV as soon as you’ve finished charging (fees may also apply for failing to do this in some locations)
generally only charge up to 80% (rather than all the way up to 100%) as the last 20% the charger will sloooow down, and there might be people waiting in the queue, and
the software Need To Charge might be handy as it sends you notifications when someone else is waiting to charge and you’re still plugged in but not at your car.
Rapid chargers
These chargers are sometimes called DC chargers, because of the type of electrical current they use.
They suck lots of power from the grid really quickly and pump it into your EV battery as fast as possible.
They can charge a whole battery in 15-40 minutes, so are great for road trips and when quick charging is needed. They are generally located on busy highways and in busy towns and CBDs.
Cables are generally supplied, so no need to bring your own.
Power can be more expensive than other types of chargers (they often charge a price per kwh used, plus a fee per minute) and they can be a bit less reliable (needing regular repairs + maintenance).
Destination chargers
Destination chargers use AC current, and are slower than DC rapid chargers. However, they can be a bit more reliable as they are simpler technology and don’t have such a huge impact on the grid or network.
They charge at a similar speed to a home charger. They can charge a car battery in a few hours (the exact rate will depend on your car and how quickly it can draw the power).
These chargers are often found in public car parks, shopping centres, cafes and tourist hot spots where people park for a few hours.
Also can be installed in workplaces for staff or customers!
Some public AC chargers supply a cable but others rely on the driver bringing their own cable….
Charging cables
We recommend taking a charging cable with you on longer trips, just in case you get stuck and need to use a public charger.
The charging cable that we generally recommend is called a Type 2 cable, which is compatible with most cars and chargers. Some cars need another type (Nissan Leafs for example) because they have a different shaped charging socket.
We can help you work out which one you need depending on the model of your car.
Just make sure the cable you buy is long enough to easily charge your car, noting charging ports on different types of cars are in different locations (usually either at the front or side).
Software and RFID cards
Many public chargers use software to make it possible to pay for the power that is used during a charging session.
There are soo many different apps and software out there - it is almost like every charger is using a different one :/
Downloading the following charging software should have you pretty well covered in lutruwita / Tasmania (but there are always new ones popping up):
We also recommend setting up an RFID card.
This is essentially a key card or fob that you can connect to each of the different apps and software platforms. It means you can access public chargers and pay for power used without needing to log into all the different software every time.
It also helps if the networks are down or if the charger location doesn’t have good reception, as an RFID card should still work and allow charging in these situations.
We can help you get an RFID card set up. If you prefer to do it yourself, you can order one for free through the Evie app (it works for Evie but also the other software too).
You need to set this card up with a valid debit or credit card as your payment method in each of the apps, and off you go.
That is enough for now I think…
We hope this information has been useful, and helped answer some of the questions you might have about EVs. Or helped you along your EV journey.
Please get in touch if you think we’ve missed anything important or you’d like more info or still have questions.
You can check out our EV charging services, and request a callback or a quote at any stage.
We’d love to hear from you.