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With more electric cars on WA roads every month, these tips ensure drivers can stay charged with minimal waiting and stress.
by Toby Hagon
Published
11 min read
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by Toby Hagon
Published
Text size
EV ownership is at record levels: there are now more than half a million electric cars on the road in Australia, with tens of thousands more joining them each month.
In WA, the number of EVs surged by almost 66 per cent in the past year, with 63,241 light electric vehicles (including battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles) licensed in June 2026.
And in every additional EV is a driver who will one day likely plug into a public charger.
The increasing demands being placed on the public charging network can sometimes lead to queues, confusion and occasionally frayed tempers.
But with some planning, patience and common sense, the art of charging your electric car can be less stressful than it may otherwise be.
Here’s how to make sure you're doing the right thing by your fellow EV owners when it comes to public chargers:
As the largest state in the country, Western Australia has its own unique challenges when it comes to keeping EV drivers on the road.
Along with private enterprise, the WA government invested in what is believed to be Australia’s longest EV charging network, comprising 49 locations from Mundrabilla near the South Australian border to Esperance and all the way up to Kununurra.
As with the eastern states, the emphasis of that charging infrastructure was on heavily-trafficked routes and locations likely to attract EVs in future. But remote regions – including the Kimberley – have also been included.
So how does an EV owner negotiate the new world of “refuelling” when not charging at home?
Charging an EV takes longer than filling a car (although technology is advancing; BYD has unveiled cars with the capability to add up to 400km of range in five minutes, with plans to build powerful charging stations across China).
In Australia, the temptation is to plug your EV into a public charger and while away the time at a nearby cafe or doing some window shopping. That’s fine – provided you don’t overstay your welcome.
An EV that’s finished charging but is still occupying a bay can be an enormous frustration to the next person in line, so be aware of how long the process will take.
When you first plug your car in, it will estimate how long it will need to charge.
That predicted finish time may fluctuate depending on various factors – including weather and how many other EVs are charging nearby (we’ll get to that later) – so be flexible. Ideally, monitor the charging through the car’s smartphone app or one associated with the charger.
If you’re not sure, get back to the car earlier than the predicted finish time to ensure you’re not blocking someone else.
Fast charging can see the rate of charge – how much power is flowing, measured in kilowatts – vary enormously during the charging session.
If the battery is at a low state of charge and is at an optimum charging temperature (usually between about 15 and 35 degrees) then the car should take on close to its maximum rate of charge.
But as the charge nears completion, the car will start taking on less electricity to protect its battery pack. The reduction in current – measured in amps – is important for the health of the battery over many years.
At 90 per cent state of charge, for example, the battery may be accepting a fraction of what it was earlier.
This is why it’s recommended that during peak charging times and especially if there are queues, you should unplug at about 80 per cent.
Tesla even automatically adjusts the car’s maximum charge to 80 per cent at its busier Superchargers (although it allows owners to manually override it). It also applies a congestion fee at busy sites, which means that charging beyond 80 per cent when others are waiting will cost you more.
Just because a charging station says it can supply a lot of power doesn’t mean your car can accept it. Ultimately, the vehicle determines how much electricity it will take on based on a range of factors.
While newer EVs are increasingly taking higher power levels, very few can take the maximum 400kW offered by the most powerful chargers around the country today. By 2027, there will be some 1500kW chargers, which steps the charging game up significantly, although it appears these will initially be offered at dealerships.
EVs that can take higher outputs typically run an 800V electrical architecture, which is double the voltage of most EVs.
The majority of EVs use a 400V electrical architecture and will only be supplied by about 175kW of power on a 350kW charger, or around 200kW on a charger capable of 400kW; the limitations are around how much current can travel through the charger.
Similarly, charge an 800V car on a 400V charger – which is the entire Tesla Supercharger network, at least until Tesla's newer 1000V cabinets arrive here – and it’ll be limited by the current.
A Supercharger that can supply 300kW to a Tesla will only be able to supply 150kW to that 800V car that is otherwise capable of taking a lot more power. Again, blame it on current limitations, and also remember that not all Tesla Superchargers are open to non-Teslas.
It also pays to know what your car is capable of, so you can pick the right charger. Some affordable EVs will only accept up to 50kW of charge power, for example, so when there’s a choice between a 50kW or 350kW charger, the car will charge at the same speed on both.
The most considerate approach is to leave the more powerful charger to the vehicles that will benefit from it. Similarly, if you’re not in a hurry or are only finishing off a charge, then the 50kW charger may be enough.
Many DC fast chargers will not always supply the power they claim to, due to the limitations of the cables bringing electricity to the charging station. There’s only so much that the electricity grid and hardware can support to ensure circuit breakers aren’t tripped.
This is the reason many fast chargers will halve the power if two EVs are plugged in at once. A charger may be described as 150kW but when two cars are hooked up to the same charging pod – something that can be almost the size of a petrol bowser – each may top out at 75kW.
If you arrive at a bank of chargers and there’s another EV already connected, don’t plug into the same charging unit if there is an unoccupied bay instead.
During peak times, such as public or school holidays, some chargers will have lines of people waiting. Make it obvious you’re in the queue and if you’re not sure where it starts and finishes (it’s not always obvious), then ask.
During these peak times, you should always limit your charging to what’s necessary to get to your destination.
If you’re settling in for a long(ish) charge, don’t be afraid to chat to the people charging alongside.
Sometimes they might need some help with charging. There are tricks to some of the chargers, such as ensuring you’ve got the correct app or positioning the charging cable so it accurately locks into the car.
It should go without saying to take any rubbish with you. But you should also leave the EV charger as you found it (many don’t).
Pop the charging plug back in its holster, for example. If you have experienced any issues, report them to the station operator and update the PlugShare app, which can alert others as to what to expect.
Also consider where you’re charging. If you’re near a residential area or bustling businesses, cranking out AC/DC at full volume while you wait may not be appropriate.
This may seem like an obvious one, but it can be surprising how many people don’t move their car once it’s finished charging.
Even in charging bays marked “EV only”, it is not uncommon to find EVs parked after charging is finished.
Once your car has charged, movie it to a regular parking spot so you can continue shopping, exploring or eating without impeding others who need to charge.
Money is a great motivator, and charger operators have realised this.
Idle fees – which charge EV drivers for being plugged in but not charging – are increasingly common, with the aim of deterring people from staying in the spot once their car is topped up.
Tesla charges an idle fee of 50 cents a minute once your car has finished charging and the site is at least half full, doubling to $1 a minute when every bay is taken. It’s waived if you move within five minutes of the session ending.
Others have followed. Chargefox trialled idle fees in WA before rolling them out more broadly; at the time of writing, these were up to $1 a minute after a 10-minute grace period. Evie's fees vary from charger to charger.
It's worth checking the network's app before you wander off. The grace periods and the idle rates differ, and the cost of a long lunch while your car sits at a busy charger can add up quickly.
EV charging stations can be a mishmash in terms of how they are oriented and can be in some unexpected locations. But wherever you are, ensure you’re not impeding someone else from charging.
Park within the defined bay and don’t hang the nose or tail out so other drivers will be forced to park somewhere else or try to swing around you.
Also look at the available charging bays. Sometimes EV chargers are in a far-flung corner of a carpark and not always easily accessible.
If there’s more than one bay and you’re driving a smaller or easier-to-manoeuvre model, consider taking the tighter space to make it easier if someone else arrives.
More electric vehicles are able to tow, which raises the prospect of what to do at a public charging station.
The reality is many charging locations aren’t set up for someone pulling a trailer or caravan, with parking spots or charging bays that fit only the car.
Check the PlugShare app for information on the one you’re planning to visit before you get there and be prepared to unhitch the trailer nearby to ensure you can charge without blocking anyone else.
Not all public charging happens at a fast charger. Hotels, caravan parks, wineries, shopping centres and councils increasingly offer slower AC charging, typically adding 20 to 40km of range an hour rather than hundreds.
They’re perfect if you are stopping for a long lunch or an overnight stay.
And because they're slow, these chargers are usually used for hours at a time, which changes the etiquette.
If you're staying overnight somewhere with a single AC charger, be ready to unplug it once you’re done to allow others to utilise it.
Watch where you put the cable, too. AC charging often means using your own and a lead draped across a footpath or between two parking bays can be a trip hazard.
Most fast-charging stations will show the car’s current state of charge on the display.
It’s an easy way for others to gauge roughly how long you’ll be using that charger for.
But it doesn’t always provide the full picture, especially if you’re planning to charge to 100 per cent, in turn forcing the car to slow the charge rate down as it approaches its maximum state.
Consider leaving a note to let others know how long you’ll be. Some stations also have a way to do that digitally via an app, and PlugShare app allows users to direct message each other.
Fast chargers can experience technical issues and faults, leading to downtime.
Make sure you do your research ahead of time on apps such as PlugShare or A Better Route Planner (ABRP), which not only provides information on how much power a charger can supply but also whether people who’ve just visited were able to make it work. That user-supplied information can also provide valuable tips on operating that particular charger.
The Tesla Owners Club Western Australia also maintains a live WA EV Network dashboard (waevn.tocwa.cloud) to give motorists constantly updated information, including on charger status (for example, when a charger that is listed as officially available is, in fact, only delivering a trickle of power). It also gives a reliability score, so drivers know which are most dependable.
Last updated October 2026. First published October 2024.
