We’ve been in a lot of EVs over the last few years. As the popularity of CO2-free motoring increases in proportion to the cost of petrol, the question of charging also pops up.

Our LEXUS UX300e this promises 360km of range but at full charge was 300km. A run to the edge of town and back dropped that to 150km, so I naturally turned to charge-hunting as a hobby. The LEXUS only charges at a max rate of 50kw and can’t plug into anything faster, the plugs don’t fit. That means that the number of charge point options is reduced even further.

The 50kw Chargefox locally available, is out of service, and is a problem we have often have with Chargefox. It is the largest network and the number of outlets makes it vulnerable to outages. If like me you rely on the only “fast” charging point nearby, faults bring a world of pain.

The local LEXUS dealer has one in the service department, with a tacit offer of its use. 3 years of free Chargefox charging isn’t much help if you can’t access it.

Chargefox has recently been acquired by Australian Motoring Services and has committed to lifting the rate of network expansion but it is the maintenance of the existing network that appears to be an issue. Local supplier, Tritium, is slow on providing the necessary fixes, with the local 350kw chargers being out of action for over 5 months. Just as they came back in to service, the 50kw outlet went offline.

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ABOVE: Charging EVs

Why is charging access so important?

The question answers itself: you can’t run an EV without access to charge points.

75% of the City of Sydney residents are strata dwellers and don’t have outlets on-premises. They rely on public charging of some kind, while body corporate managers come to terms with the urgent need for EV infrastructure. Most body corporates simply can’t, or won’t deal with the increase in EV ownership.

At a Nissan LEAF event, Osher Günsberg told me he is able to operate his LEAF using public charging only. While that works a treat for him, it isn’t going as well here. Consider this: the home outlet takes 6.5 hours and the “fast charge” 50kw takes 80 minutes.

Now that Tesla no longer offers free charging to its buyers, Tesla owners now also use other brands of charge points. Sadly, only Teslas can use Tesla outlets.

Who Should Buy EVs?

To answer that question, we need to ask a couple of extra questions.

1: Do you have charging at home ? Answer: anyone who doesn’t want to travel big distances in one go

2: Do you rely on public charging? Answer: check local availability and don’t count on the future expansion to fill you needs. In other words, believe it when it happens. If you’re happy with what is available, and are OK with the reliability of maintenance, then by all means go for it.

In short, if you have the money and the inclination, buy an EV. Either way you’ll have to make small changes in your lifestyle.

NOTE: some charging is free. Fast charging is up to 60c p/Kwh. Not all chargers are Chargefox so may not be free to LEXUS owners. Chargefox recently raised its maxim charge from 40c to 60c per Kwh.

UPDATE: The car is now fully charged thanks to Sydney City LEXUS, and once again, the range is 300km even.

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