NRMA to end free charging, Chargefox trialing overstay fees, WA getting more chargers

Australian Motoring Services’ affiliates will soon impose charges on NRMA electric vehicle chargers, while Chargefox starts trialling overstay fees.

NRMA will conclude its five-year project of providing free-of-charge fast EV charging stations across its network, which connects metro and regional New South Wales and the borders.

NRMA Energy and Infrastructure Chief, Carly Irving-Dolan, confirmed to The Driven [↗] that they expect to launch a trial for payments around October or November this year, through a new NRMA smartphone application.

Irving-Dolan also stated that earlier, first-generation Brisbane-made Tritium stations are gradually being replaced with newer models to improve reliability, as the network expands nationally using a mix of Kempower and ABB-made models.

"'Free charging' was part of preparing and aiding people with the transition. Also, we didn't want to charge for things that weren't reliable," Irving-Dolan told The Driven [↗].

"And we’re now reaching that point where reliability is really increasing."

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Chargefox Trials Overstay Fees

Australia’s largest public EV charging network, Chargefox, will soon begin penalising EV owners by the minute if they overstay at a station and remain plugged in after the car has completed charging.

The trial will start next month at select locations in Western Australia – aiming to prevent charging queues and foster public EV charging etiquette.

Chargefox will provide a grace period to allow drivers to return to their vehicle "within a reasonable time period".

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While the exact idle fees haven’t been detailed yet, the company asserts that any collected funds will be reinvested in expanding its charging infrastructure.

This approach is similar to Tesla Superchargers, which charge owners for keeping their electric cars plugged in and not charging – depending on station demand.

After a five-minute grace period, Tesla’s idle fee is $0.50 per minute when the site is 50 per cent occupied, but it doubles to $1.00 per minute when the charging hub is at 100 per cent capacity.

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WA Electric Vehicle Highway Expansion

Chargefox also announced an additional 98 fast EV chargers planned for 49 locations to establish the Western Australia Electric Vehicle Highway – extending from Eucla, to Exmouth and Kununurra.

This project is a collaboration between Synergy, Horizon Power, and the state government, with sites including Geraldton, Northampton, Williams, Manjimup, and Albany already live using 150kW DC capable charging stations from Nordic manufacturer Kempower.

This initiative will enhance the federal government’s project to fill EV charging blackspots in collaboration with the NRMA."

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