Electric Vehicles in Adelaide: Trends, Availability, and Incentives

Electric Vehicle (EV) purchases are on the rise. Sales of EVs more than doubled in 2021 compared to the previous two years.

The City of Adelaide provides 42 electric vehicle charging stations located across the city and North Adelaide. The amount of electricity delivered across this network has roughly doubled each financial year between 2019 and 2021, with the growth trend continuing into 2022. In addition to the charging stations provided there are other private chargers available.

Find out more about the city charging network and pricing.

In addition to the charging stations provided there are other private chargers available, and the State government recently announced another 10 to be installed in the CBD.

EVs have no greenhouse gas emissions from the tailpipe, only from the electricity they are charged with, so if you recharge from renewable sources, EVs are a very low carbon transport option. In driving, the cars have lower maintenance and repair costs. Since City of Adelaide fast charging network is powered by a 100% renewable electricity contract, it means cars can essentially run on wind and solar power.

As EVs are becoming more popular, options for vehicles and charging points are increasing. By the end of 2022 there will be 58 EV models available on the Australian market.

As of 1 July 2021 the State Government is offering $3,000 subsidies and a three-year registration exemption for the purchase of eligible vehicles (for the first 7,000 cars) and an additional subsidy of up to $2,000 for to install approved EV charging systems at eligible properties. Find out more and apply for SA Government subsidies here.

If you are considering installing your own EV charger, Council currently offers rebates through our Incentives for Sustainability.

What’s your EV-Etiquette?

Just like we developed shared norms when the city shifted from horses to cars, an etiquette around shared spaces for EVs is emerging.

The main guiding principle is to be considerate of other EV drivers. This means:

• Parks with chargers are only intended for electric vehicle, don’t park there in a conventional vehicle.
• If you are charging, only stay for the time required to gain the electricity you need, don’t over-stay in the parking space.
• DC chargers deliver electricity more quickly than AC charger, so use them for less time to allow others to use the service.
• Consider only charging up to 80% at an EV charger, because the charge speed will ramp down after 80%.
• Don’t unplug someone else’s car from a charger unless you have permission, it could damage the socket.
• Don’t run cables across public footpaths which could cause a hazard.
• If you’re using private power points or charging stations, make sure you have approval from the owners before using them, because it will cost money to the owner of the power point!