Where will charging stations be built and who is going to pay for them?
At the last round of estimates I asked the Albanese government who is going to build and pay for charging stations to be installed across the country, in particular how much are taxpayers going to be on the hook for.
I should have followed up with an another question as I got a very broad based answer that wasn’t very specific.
Same again for the cost of charging cars in common areas. Many electric vehicles are being charged by power points in common areas where the cost of charging is being borne by all tenants.
The government has no interest in resolving any of this as it would make the owners of electric vehicles actually have to pay the full cost of charging their own cars.
I seriously doubt the take up of electric vehicles will exceed 5% of the fleet by 2030, but if it ever does it is going to put a lot of load onto energy grid at a time when base load power stations are closing down.
It’s disaster waiting to happen.
Environment and Communications Legislation Committee
28/05/2024
Estimates
CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER PORTFOLIO
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Senator RENNICK: If you could, I’d appreciate it. That would be great. I just have one more question, Chair; is that alright?
CHAIR: One last one.
Senator RENNICK: Thank you. It is on a slightly different topic: I want to talk about charging stations. I know that the target’s been withdrawn, but I think we’re looking at about a five per cent take up of EVs in our vehicles by 2030. Let’s say there are 20 million cars on the road. About five per cent of that means that we’re going to have about a million EV cars on the road by 2030. Who is going to actually be responsible for providing enough charging stations to ensure that those cars can be charged, the public sector or the private sector?
Ms Rowley: I might just get us started, then my colleague might like to add. I think that it’s true to say that it’s a joint responsibility. The EV drivers often install chargers at home or just use their existing infrastructure to charge their cars at home. For publicly accessible charging stations, we’re already seeing a mix of public and private solutions. Some businesses, including petrol stations, are installing EV chargers to attract that growing segment of vehicles, and we’re seeing public investment both at the national level and in state, territory and local governments in public access charging infrastructure as well.
Senator RENNICK: I’ll actually put a question to the minister. In regard to, say, private dwellings—
CHAIR: We’re going to need to rotate, Senator Rennick.
Senator RENNICK: Yes, it is a similar topic. Private dwellings—
CHAIR: Yes, but the timeframe.
Senator RENNICK: Some of the feedback I’m getting from people who own apartment blocks is that EV users are using the general plug in the parking basement, so the body corps paying for the power rather than the individual, and they’re getting a little bit frosty about the idea that they’re paying for someone else’s energy. Is there an intention to put in laws to protect the body corps? I know some of this touches on state rules, but this is an ongoing issue or will be an ongoing issue that will become more prevalent as more EVs are taken up, in regard to making sure that people don’t pay for power that they’re not using. Is there some sort of plan to deal with that?
Senator McAllister: Perhaps I can start, and officials are likely to have a little more information. You’re right that, for this technology and a number of other technologies too, including solar and batteries, strata living presents some of the biggest governance challenges. We are very conscious that that is an area where, to the extent that the Commonwealth has levers to support people living in strata, we would like to do so.
There are some caveats on that—and you’ve pointed to that in the way that you asked the question. The laws that govern strata sit with the states and territories, and many of them have started thinking about that. I know in my home state of New South Wales there is guidance issued to strata about the options available to them to deal with the circumstances you described. There are different models that a strata committee might choose to manage that situation. It is one of the more complex governance areas. It is not really restricted to these technologies; the governance issues for strata are complex right across the board, if we are honest.
Mr Ryan: A piece of work we are committed to under the National Electric Vehicle Strategy is to look at the charging in multi-dwelling apartments. Over the last three to four months, we have been working to put together the different pieces of work. It is a little difficult because, as you and other have alluded to, it is different state by state and there are different challenges depending on the strata law.
We are looking to provide some consistent advice across each of the jurisdictions, and we are working with the states and territories as well with some of the industry groups, like the associations that look after renters or owners in multi-dwelling establishments, to put together some advice on what might be the way you can approach it and some of the common things we are seeing that have been pitfalls for people and how to approach them and get over them—whether it is just a power point or maybe a big charger that you want to be able to put in to be able to charge your EV or some of the access issues with the cabling.
Senator RENNICK: Insurance is another thing, because you have to pay more insurance if you have an EV. But I will leave that as a comment.
