Are you making the most of your new EV?

• Finding a charger: Use smartphone apps or websites such as Plugshare to locate public-charging stations.
• Paying for charging: Payment methods vary by provider but often include RFID cards (e.g. credit cards and debit or membership cards), mobile apps.
  • Download smartphone apps such as Chargefox to provide payment for the charge. Some apps will allow you to locate nearby charging stations, show real-time availability, and monitor the charging process.
  • Other charging stations use RFID membership cards that enable you to initiate and pay for charging sessions by swiping or tapping the card at the charging station.

Idle fees may be incurred if an EV remains connected to a charging station after charging is complete. Check the onscreen details before leaving your vehicle to charge.

While there is a large network of public-charging stations across WA, not all regional areas have access to a public EV charger. Currently, Synergy and Horizon Power are working with the State Government on the WA EV Network. This initiative is introducing 98 EV charging stations at 49 locations from Mundrabilla to Kununurra, and are mapped on the Chargefox app.

• Daytime charging: Charge your EV during the day when your solar panels are generating electricity.
• Smart chargers: Use a smart charger to schedule charging times that align with peak solar production.

Slowing down the charge rate of an EV is an uncomplicated way to use a system’s excess solar without using an electricity monitoring system. You can change the charging settings in your vehicle, or on your home charger. This will minimise the amount of grid electricity the EV uses to charge but may occasionally use more power than the system is generating when using multiple appliances at the same time.

Third-party apps are available to maximise the use of at home solar panels for EV charging. These apps can monitor your solar production, charging only from excess solar energy when available. At times when solar energy is insufficient, charging will occur during off-peak electricity times, also reducing charging costs.

Consider switching to an electricity plan with off-peak rates to save money by charging your EV overnight.

• Electricity tariffs, such as the ‘EV Add On’ tariff, have been developed by Synergy to incentivise EV owners to recharge their EVs overnight or in the middle of the day, to better align with renewable energy output and network capacity.
• The prices for this tariff are available via Synergy.

• Common plug types: The most common plug types are Type 1 (J1772) and Type 2 (Mennekes) for AC charging, and Combined Charging System (CCS) and CHAdeMO for DC fast charging.
• Adapters: Carry the necessary adapters to ensure compatibility with different charging stations.
• Charging cable: Always have a charging cable in your EV for convenience.
  • New EVs bought in Australia today use a Type 2 connector for AC charging. This has seven pins and supports both single-phase and three-phase AC charging.
  • New EVs bought in Australia today will then use a CCS plug for charging at a DC station. This is a plug that incorporates both the Type 2 Mennekes together with two additional DC connectors.
  • Some older EV models may have a larger Chademo connector, which are becoming rare on newer EVs. Some public charge stations still have Chademo plugs, although EVs with this plug type will usually come with a Type 2 plug as well for slower charging.