@Jim_Hare​ agree love talking to other EV drivers. If you had to pay to use them, would you still use them?

@SuzanaB​ For long trips I would be happy to pay for fast charging.   At home I charge using the solar panels on my roof so the rare times I’m traveling I’m happy to pay for the convenience. 

Thanks for letting me know.

@SuzanaB​ hi Suzana I’ve used many of the NRMA chargers over the years and they are fantastic. I would pay to use them however I’m hoping my NRMA membership on my Tesla gives me continued free access ! Not much else can go wrong with an EV so roadside assist is really only for towing and flat tyres I guess so free charging would be an advantage

@Jack777​ there are plenty of third party chargers in town and most owners charge at home.

I don’t agree that range is limited.   My Kona goes 500km on a full charge and with these chargers in strategic places makes long distance travel easy. 

Also, I’ve seen a few NRMA chargers in town.  Homebush and Alexandria.

@Jim_Hare​ If you have an EV with a good range that's fine, but my Zoe has a max of 250 so more chargers would be appreciated

Don’t you charge at home?   To me that’s always the most convenient as well as cheapest way to charge.  

To me the Super Chargers were designed for periodical use on long trips.  It’s not good for the car to use them often. 

250 is a great range.  I had friends who took the original Nissan Leaf across the country with 140km range.  😎

Are you on PlugShare or any of the third party apps?  
There are chargers everywhere in most capital cities but the Super Chargers are much better suited for highways between. 

@Jack777​ Hi Jack I hear your pain. I agree we need more chargers in urban areas. I use the shopping centre ones. Do you use Plugshare? I have a friend who has the original 140km EV which now after 10 years has a maximum range of 125km. He only uses it to zip around town. He tells me that he wouldn't want to do longer travel because it'll take him so long to get to where he needs to, as he'll have to stop and charge along the way, even if charging was available. But to your point, if that's all you have then you need to charge along the way.

@Jim_Hare​ so everyone has 500 km range on their EVs?

@declanscott​ at the moment NRMA chargers are free to use for everyone. This is likely to change in the future though.

At this stage we're still planning on how that will look, but there will be multiple options for how you pay, including for one off uses.

Ultimately, we want charging to be as simple (if not more so) as filling up at the bowser and that no doubt that will include pay and go options using smart devices. 

@BlueTongueEngraving​ your frustration here is warranted. We want our Members and anyone who relies on our network to feel like they can raise their concerns so we can work collaboratively to improve things. 

We're proud of the charger network we've created, but it's far from perfect. As you've mentioned, there are supply chain challenges among other things, that have created ongoing issues. As EV use expands, this is becoming a significant pain point for many drivers, and we know we need to move faster in strengthening this network. Ultimately, we want more people driving EVs but we need to be making sure the infrastructure is there to support that as well.

The purpose of this community is to be able to voice your opinions and pain points as well as to celebrate and share knowledge of EVs. So we appreciate your being honest and I'll be sure to pass your feedback onto our EV team and we can begin to share updates and answers here with you and other drivers. 

One minor but important initiative that NRMA could take is to lobby Governments and Councils to introduce meaningful penalties for ICE vehicle owners that block EV charging spaces.  This has happened to me several times and no action was taken or, apparently, is possible as there is no legislation that allows a penalty to be applied beyond a parking infringement, which itself is not applied as it requires an authority to attend while the offence is taking place.  The Police are not interested and Councils have few parking officers.

@BlueTongueEngraving​ Hi I'm Suzana and I work at the NRMA heading up the EV Charging team. I thank you for your feedback and recommendations. We're learning a lot about what we can do better when building and managing the network. We are looking at better back up charging options like the inclusion of a power point or making sure we have more than one charger at a site. With our current budget we committed to making sure we provide coverage across NSW along major roads. We're close to completing this rollout to deliver 60 charging locations. We almost have 50 now. As we're completing this, we've started planning how to address charger back up and queuing issues. We'll share plans as soon as they're complete. Please keep telling us where we can do better. We are listening.

@BlueTongueEngraving​ Good comments. I have a Tesla and access to their SuperCharger network was a consideration when purchasing. Plan C after A and B fail are adapters to suit 32 Amp | 7 kW | 5-Pin and 15A sockets so can plug in at caravan parks or even workshops if really stuck. 

Jokes aside, checking in to chargers via the Plugshare app is good because it also gives an indication the charger was last used. 

Multiple charger units will need to be installed at existing sites as EV uptake continues.

Also good to see Ampol etc installing chargers, though I believe they are getting subsidies to do it. Better than going into more oil I guess.

Last thought is security / cameras for these sites as some are out of the way.

@BlueTongueEngraving​ I agree I don’t have an EV yet but am looking to get one ASAP but I live in the Coffs Harbour region and I keep looking at my links to charging stations and they are just too far apart north of me and south of me. Coffs Harbour has Tesla charging stations and a Chargefox rapid charger but nothing until you get to Ballina which may be okay but when there is only one charger available it’s not going to work when many more get EV’s. I have heard they are trialling a new system that has chargers at power poles and kerbside chargers but it’s only in trial phase and only in Newcastle and Sydney. I hope it works because it will be a game changer but it will need to charge at a high rate to be successful for long distance travelling.

@PCLoadLetter​ We apologies for the bad experience at Mittagong. We are working to have this charger up and running as soon as possible. We have learnt that single charger sites don't make sense and we will go back to introduce more charging plugs especially in congested locations like Mittagong.

Your point about heavy plugs is very right. We're also working with suppliers to see how to make plugs easier to manage. They should be as heavy as petrol/diesel bowser plugs.

@Hamilton​ That's a great suggestion to see if bins could be positioned close by along with amenities as well as the all important stop for a bite to eat too. I hope your experience with our network has been great so far. 

Thanks for the insight Trevor. EV etiquette is indeed something that has been raised, especially given that more chargers are still needed so it really does make a difference if all users offered the same courtesy. We're not far off an EV etiquette guide, which we'll share - but we hope it helps too 👍. 

I think you're right that there's so much education needed, to overcome some of the mis-information we all see out there. I think there is a role for NRMA to help here and continue to work with all levels of the govt to ensure the barriers to uptake are also removed too. 

@SERENITY​ There used to be some laminated sheets on the single-stall chargers at Fairy Meadow (not NRMA), Mittagong, Picton, Scone and Gunnedah. They encouraged people to check in on PlugShare and also enrol for NeedToCharge notifications. They weren't official, just enthusiast tips. The Mittagong one has disappeared. I'm unsure about the rest.

@SERENITY​ and everyone.

I can highly recommend the app PlugShare - i was shown this by the dealer who sold me my car and is loaded on my car's app manager.
- it is free

- it is network independent so you can see most chargers near your location across different networks

- you can see if there is someone charging and guage if you wait or drive on
- you nominate how long you will be charging for

- you get notified if charging and some-one has arrived and joined the queue

- you can communicate with others in the queue or charging via the app - ie heading back to car now 

I too like Plugshare, but what has me foxed is where NRMA chargers are in the filter for "Networks", or in the system generally. Because I use a Tesla S, the fast chargers are the priority search. I keep having to go to the NRMA site for the map when planning a trip. Does anyone know how to isolate NRMA on Plugshare?

As a second thought, already worked over, I agree that multiple chargers are imperative because the sheer number of users is growing very quickly and queuing in some sites is really not feasible, eg the ones in busy parking lots. As a matter of economics, I assume that there is a significant fixed cost in doing one unit which could be shared when more than one is installed at a site. 

@Cotman​ Try using ABetterRoutePlanner to plan preference-based charge stops on your journey, in conjunction with using plugshare to check-in.

You can find codes to trial the premium subscription on YouTube - Bjorn Nyland is a good place to start.

@TomL thanks for the suggestion and kind words. An app is underway, which we'll pass o the suggestion re - availability and queueing status too. Have you used many of the EV chargers along our network? I hope the experience has been great so far. 

Hi Paul,

I have used quite a few of your chargers, I've done road trips to Coonabarabran via Tamworth and used Scone, Nabiac, Port Macquarie. I also lined up behind 2 other cars for Mittagong's single charger. My parents live near Wauchope so I use Sovereign Hills up there (as well as the Chargefox ultra) and I live in Newcastle and go to Wallsend to do shopping because of your chargers there (but they are both out of service again at the moment). I also use the Newcastle Council ones in town but would prefer a more central fast charger that I'd happily pay for a quick charge somewhere like the stadium. I think shopping centres should be the main charging centres and have a mix of 50kW and 22kWAC chargers as people spend a good amount of time there and ultra chargers in high traffic areas and regional so there isn't long wait times and people can do weekend trips without range/charging anxiety. The Wallsend chargers do seem to have a very high amount of time offline, is there a local technician or do they come from Sydney? I'm an electrician in Newcastle and would be happy to do training in fault finding and repairs to reduce down time.

NRMA Mittagong is very VERY heavily used. And it's often faulty (including right now). Don't waste your time.

Evie Sutton Forest is 60c/kWh, and even though it's only one stall, it's usually available. Maccas is literally right there.

Chargefox Goulburn is cheap if you've linked your NRMA membership number in the Chargefox phone app. It's at a servo with toilets, machine coffee, sandwiches, and all the usual snacks. There's also a return-and-earn machine, if you've got cans & bottles accumulating. Just avoid it when you're in a Tesla whenever it's packed and there are non-Teslas waiting. Maccas is just across the street.

Goulburn Supercharger has lots of stalls, but it's often chockers Sunday lunchtime. The Soldiers Club across the street has a cafe, a bistro, toilets, and all the usual club facilities. There are also some other nearby amenities, but none are especially close by.

NRMA Yass is way off the highway. I mean WAY off the highway. I wouldn't recommend this stop.

NRMA Jugiong is very VERY heavily used. Don't waste your time.

Chargefox Gundagai is cheap if you've linked your NRMA membership number in the Chargefox phone app, but you'll risk getting bogged, as the driveway leading into it is in an awful state of disrepair. Always has been. It's behind Oliver's.

Gundagai Supercharger is fine. It's also behind Oliver's, but its driveway is in a better state of repair.

@SamT​ Hi key here is to plan your trip and check in to make sure the chargers you'd like to use are working. Global supply chain issues, so availability of parts are causing delays to repairs.  Also just because a charger is not on the Hume Hwy doesn't mean you shouldn't use it. Jugiong and Yass are off the highway in great locations where you can stretch your legs, have a rest and a bite to eat. Jugiong has a great bakery and restaurant. Yass is a gorgeous town with amenities and cafes in walking distance. So if you need a rest, stretch of legs, walk the dog, give kids access to a playground, these locations are great. Also the communities love seeing EV drivers visit their town. If you don't have time to take 10 minutes off the highway then locations like Gundagai, Sutton Forrest make sense. Great thing is that you have options.

There is also another charger that is close to the highway - the Chargefox at Western Sydney Uni. Nice outlook. I have to agree that Yass is quite a diversion compared to most of the others but as Suzana says, if you can afford to take the time, it's right near a park (which has a clean loo), and shops. Yes, the Chargefox behind Gundagai is a bit messy to get to - muddy potholes in front of the concrete parking area, but I've never actually been unable to get the car into position and charge it. Wagga's charger is in a large, open carpark with a pretty river walk very close by. Watch out for potholes in Cross st. Council is a bit challenged keeping up with local road repairs in this rainy weather.   

@SamT​ we did Sydney, Goulburn, Jugiong, Wagga (overnight), Albury, Euroa, Melbourne then Melbourne, Avenel, Albury, Wagga (overnight), Yass, Goulburn, Mittagong, Sydney in July in our Ioniq 2020. Cold days and nights and 110 km/h so range was about 270km out of theoretical 311. We can't use Tesla superchargers. No issues travelling mid-week. Waited about ten minutes at Yass, Sutton Forest was newly installed but listed broken on Plugshare, so we went on to Mittagong. Great trip. We were cautious with range as we wanted to be able to skip a charge if needed - as in Sutton Forest. Not sure how busy these are on the weekends, but good mid-week.

Hi Gordonr (and SamT), we also have a 2020 Ioniq with a ‘full to empty’ range of around 270km in highway use.

In late 2020 we travelled from Melbourne to Brisbane via the inland route.  We used Plugshare for planning and our actual route (via Dubbo) was based upon NRMA charging locations.  All went well; we had minor waits in Narrandera on the way up and Dubbo on the way back.  Back then, we had comments such as never having seen an EV at the charger before!!   All that has changed, and I expect our next trip north will be more difficult, with more waits, despite additional infrastructure.

The single NRMA charger in Dubbo, now back on line, has been out of action for several months.  There are several accomodations in Dubbo with Tesla destination chargers but none of these are apparently in legacy mode.  I’ve contacted Dubbo council regarding this, pointing out that Dubbo is ‘unavailable’ for us.

Our Ioniq does not have the range to skip Dubbo and go straight from Parkes to Coonabarabran - although long range EV could. But it is preferable, in my view, to have closer spaced chargers than feel compelled to purchase a longer range vehicle when that additional capacity is rarely important.

Another useful planning tool is A Better Route Planner (ABRP).  It is a little more complex to use initially but the route planning is much more powerful than Plugshare.

Finally, a few notes to NRMA.

1. As mentioned by others, I would like you to consider back up options adjacent to your DC chargers for instances where the DC is offline or to assist with peak demand.  Single and 3 phase (byo cable) outlets would be good.

2.  Free Charging has been nice but unnecessary, I am happy to pay.

3.  I would like real time charger status to be viewable either through the app or Plugshare.

Last of all, thanks NRMA for your network which, for a Victorian member, has enabled interstate travel😀

@EViking​ Thanks for the call out

Agree - this is one of the trips I have decided I wouldn't feel comfortable attempting until there are more chargers along the way. 

@EViking​ Every time I do a lap of the Snowy Mountains Highway, I always plug in for half an hour at the Tumut River Brewery. They have a pair of three-phase AC chargers.

Alas they're Gen2 Tesla Destination Chargers - and they aren't in legacy (promiscuous) mode - so they're only good for Teslas. Given their age they probably don't even have legacy mode as an option. That was back when Tesla thought the best way to communicate advanced multi-stall stuff between multiple cars and multiple chargers was by power line comms instead of just using WiFi (which they do in the Gen3 Destination Chargers).

One non-Tesla charged there recently, but said they have an adapter (!!!).

While I can probably reach Gundagai or Tarcutta in my antique SR+, my usual destination is Junee, so I'd rather add enough to comfortably reach Wagga. Plus they serve plenty of non-alcoholic beverages & it's just a really nice place to sit back and relax & order some food.

@PCLoadLetter​ the only adaptor I've seen is this: https://www.evolutionaustralia.com.au/product-page/tesla-destination-charger-to-15-amp-adaptor-cable which provides 15A - OK that's 1.5 times your emergency/home cable, but only 3.6kW. They say it works every time, but I find it odd that the chargers will supply anything in non-legacy mode. I carry an 8/10/15A charger and a 10/15 current limiter/adaptor.

@gordonr The reason that adaptors like that work is that the "non-legacy" mode wasn't intended to prevent other EVs from charging - it tries the Tesla CAN signalling method first, then falls back to standard J1772 signalling if there's no response.  The problem seems to be that many cars don't wait that long for the charger and give up before the fallback happens, so in practice it usually doesn't work.  Adaptors can work around the issue.

@clayton4115​ Hi. Thanks for the questions.

The Moree and Narrabri sites are planned for launch in Dec 2022. These are not easy locations to install charging infrastructure in as many spots in town are prone to flooding. You might be aware of this. You would have seen these with the recent floods. We put in a lot of effort to make sure we select the best locations to make sure when a flood occurs that people in EVs have a chance of charging and connecting to the main road to keep moving.

We agree that each site should have more than one charging point to offer redundancy if another charger stops working.  The NRMA focus has been to provide coverage across NSW which we're completing build on. We are also undertaking planning to determine how we will increase plugs and redundancy at existing sites.

Wow that is great news if they are installed by Dec 2022, will NRMA update the plugshare app / map with a "coming soon" icon at these towns?

thanks!

@SuzanaB​ Is it possible to provide street names where these DC charges will be located at Moree and Narrabri?

Thanks

Clayton

@Hull​ totally agree with all your well made points. More than 1 or 2 chargers in each location is very desirable as the either break down or are already used. Tesla often have a bank of 6. The Blue Mountains is terrible for charging, from Sydney’s northern suburbs to Katoomba and back is really tricky. It would be great if the nrma had a bank of high speed chargers in somewhere like Katoomba. Lithgow is too far away especially if you are just visiting the mountains as soooo many Sydney people do.

@Simpson​ Sydney to Katoomba is easy. There's a really good 350kW charging station just off the M4 at Jamisontown (Penrith).

@Hull​ great to hear from a longstanding NRMA Member. Your concerns are warranted around charger infrastructure and outages, which are greatly impacted due to global supply chain issues - often delaying repair times for our chargers. Repairs should be completed at Bathurst shortly and anticipate the 2nd charger at Bathurst will be online again soon. 

We agree that each site should have more than one charging point to offer redundancy if another charger stops working.  The NRMA focus has been to provide coverage across NSW which we're completing build on. We are also undertaking planning to determine how we will increase plugs and redundancy at existing sites as well as ensure real-time updates are offered for the status of our network. 

I'll share your thoughts with our team around charging sites for the Upper Blue Mountains. It is a little tricky to share any plans on upcoming sites as there is often different processes in place before we can list any sites as coming soon on our map. We'll continue to provide updates on our charging map though, but pls feel free to share your suggestions too. 

@MAC089 great question. We're always open to suggestions on where we could broaden our network and close gaps. We are continuously developing our roll-out plans as a way to improve our footprint across the state. Whilst this means we're not able to share any plans for sites until they are locked in with councils etc, we'll pass on the route onto the EV infrastructure team for consideration. We currently have an existing EV charger in Bateman's Bay https://www.plugshare.com/location/191374 and also looking to add more chargers to existing sites, which hopefully includes this one. 

@NRMA_Paul​ Thanks. Bateman's Bay is however far too far for my EV to make on one charge from Canberra.

@MAC089 I'm sorry this was not helpful. I've made sure this is flagged with our EV team, but we also welcome the NSW Govt's announcement to include further infrastructure as past of the EV charger plan: https://www.mynrma.com.au/cars-and-driving/electric-vehicles/our-mission/nsw-electric-vehicle-fast-charging-master-plan

Braidwood should be on the ACT Government's agenda. While it (obviously) isn't in the ACT, its main use would be topping up the cars of ACT residents headed back from the coast. As in, folks who pay taxes to the ACT Government.

Off-topic, but when recovering from major surgery in Canberra Hospital, they said they wouldn't provide me with any rehab services or equipment, because I was a NSW resident. Fair's fair. By that standard, NSW shouldn't pay to install services for ACT residents.

@PCLoadLetter​ I drive Sydney/Batemans Bay return frequently. I often use the coast road down (stopping at Berry) and via Braidwood back. So, as a non-ACT resident, I'd be strongly in favour of Braidwood.

@Lasiorhinus_krefftii​ Thank you for your feedback.

@Lasiorhinus_krefftii​ While this isn't an ideal option, people with a disability driving a Tesla have Summon mode, in their Tesla phone app, that lets them move their car forwards or backwards into a parking space. Someone who can't get out of the car when parked correctly can pull forward 5 metres, disembark, then remotely pull the car back 5 metres, and plug it in.

Even Summon cannot compensate for where there are 'step' level changes between the car and the charger - the person who may be using a rollator or a wheel chair or crutches or x still has to get to the charger and then back to the car to plug in.

@PCLoadLetter​ I’d suggest a very small % of Tesla owners have enhanced autopilot of full self driving. 

these are extremely expensive options that, iMHO, so little. 

I certainly do t have it on my Model 3. 

I suggest charging locations should be positioned for easy parking to charge. 

not like NRMA Cowra for example which is close to a fence. 

@PCLoadLetter​ Width of space isn't the only thing - there needs to be no step level change between where you get out of the car and where you stand/sit to reach the charger, there needs to be 'shared space' beside the car space to allow for wheelchair manouvring etc.