Electric vehicles
New Electric Vehicle Parking Regulations
From 30 March 2024, new regulations make relevant on-street parking bays next to electric charging stations for electric vehicle charging only. Bays allow a maximum of 2 hours to charge.
A new generation of cars are here, and the City of Adelaide is ready.
Electric vehicles (EVs) create less air and noise pollution, and when powered by renewable energy, produce less climate altering greenhouse gases. As the proportion of South Australia’s electricity generation from renewable sources increases, driving electric vehicles will mean households and businesses can contribute to a cleaner, greener city.
The City of Adelaide is ready for this emerging technology, and has a growing network of public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.
Charging fees
Fast chargers (AC <22kW)
25 cents per kWh*
*A minimum fee of $1.00 applies after one hour and five minutes.
Super-fast chargers (DC <50kW) Bowen Street, Adelaide
35 cents per kWh*
*A minimum fee of $1.00 applies after one hour and five minutes.
UPark Grote15-Amp EV power points
All times - free
Payment options
There are two ways to pay at all locations:
1. Contactless payment via Visa payWave
Use your credit card, as you would at any payWave facility, prior to plugging in.
2. Via the Chargefox App
The app is available for download through Google Play and App Store.
Simply download the Chargefox App to your mobile phone, register as a customer, then plug in and power up.
Instructions for use can be found on the EV charging stations.
Project Partners include: Government of South Australia, SA Power Networks, Mitsubishi Motors, Adelaide Central Markets and Tesla.
Electric vehicle charging stations
The City of Adelaide provides 54 electric vehicle charging stations located across the city and North Adelaide. There are others provided by private suppliers.
On-street charging stations
There are on-street electric vehicle charging points located across the city and North Adelaide available for public use.
You’ll find them at:
- 70 Light Square, Adelaide – 2 x 22kW charging points
- 47 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide - 2 x 22kW charging points
- 61 Jerningham Street, North Adelaide - 2 x 22kW charging points
- Bowen Street, Adelaide - Electric Vehicle Charging Hub - 2 x 7kW charging points (RAA Charge), 2 x 125kW charging points (RAA Charge), and 4 x Tesla-owned charging points.
Normal on-street parking fees and time limits apply. Please refer to parking signs in each location for details.
Off-street charging stations
The City of Adelaide’s off-street electric vehicles charging stations are located at various UPark carparks:
- UPark Rundle – 12 x 7kW charging points (including 1 accessibility bay), 11 x 22kW charge points (RAA Charge)
- UPark Central Market – 11 x 22kW charging points (including 1 accessibility bay)
- UPark Wyatt – 4 x 22kW charge points for casual parking (RAA Charge), 6 x 7kW charge points reserved EV bays (contact UPark to secure a Permanent Reserve EV bay)
- UPark Topham – 3 x 22kW charging points (RAA Charge), 6 x 22kW charge points reserved EV bays (contact UPark to secure a Permanent Reserve EV bay)
- UPark Grote - 2 x 15-Amp EV power points, 6 x 7kW charge points (RAA Charge)
- UPark Light – 5 x 7kW charge points (RAA Charge)
- UPark Pirie – 6 x 7kW charge points (RAA Charge)
- UPark Frome – 12 x 7kW charge points
Normal UPark parking rates apply. Contact UPark about securing EV reserved parking for your business.
If you are thinking about installing an electric vehicle charging station, find out if you are eligible for rebates through the Incentives for Sustainability.
New electric vehicle regulations explained
The City of Adelaide’s Strategic Plan 2024-28 has a target to “increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations”, which is supported by the draft Integrated Climate Strategy 2030 priority action: Public EV charging infrastructure is available for all users, including micro-mobility, catalysing the uptake of EVs in Adelaide.
To support access to on-street electric vehicle charging stations the State Government legislation relating to electric vehicle parking bays was Gazetted on 30 November 2023 No. 87 - Thursday, 30 November 2023 (pp. 3971–4047) (governmentgazette.sa.gov.au) and comes into operation on 30 March 2024.
This legislation supports relevant on street parking bays to only allow electric vehicles to park when charging. These bays will be adjacent electric charging stations and will also include a maximum time limit of 2 hours for the electric vehicles to charge. They are intended for electric vehicle drivers to ‘top up’ their charge and not for extended stays to support fair and equitable access for all electric vehicle drivers. Non-electric vehicles are not permitted to park in these bays.
The new legislation enables our Parking & Information Officers to expiate non-electric vehicles parked in these bays, electric vehicles that are not actively charging and/or electric vehicles that overstay the specified maximum time limit ie 2 hours.
The new signs will appear as per below
The relevant expiation – 203C(1) Stopping in parking area for charging of electric-powered vehicles – attracts an expiation fee of $111.
To assist in educating our community, our approach includes:
- Communicating the change via CoA websites and platforms in the lead up to 30 March
- Yellow advisory signage installed under the parking sign to alert drivers to the requirements
- In the week leading up to 30 March, Parking & Information Officers will attach educational flyers to non-electric vehicles observed to be parking in these bays, or electric vehicles not charging in these bays.
Charging cable
Our fast chargers (AC 22kW) are equipped with a Type 2 (Mennekes) socket. To use these chargers, you must bring your own cable with a Type 2 (Mennekes) plug to connect with our EV charging station.
The two 15-Amp EV power points at UPark Grote are available on Level 1 for vehicles that use a cable with a conventional wall plug (AU/NZ).
If you are unsure, please contact your vehicle supplier or go online to source the appropriate cable for your vehicle.
Charging station FAQs
Yes, all models on sale and planned for sale in Australia as at May 2019 are compatible with the City of Adelaide’s stations. The Tesla chargers at the EV Charging Hub are only compatible with Tesla vehicles.
In 2017 international electric vehicle sales increased by 57 per cent. There are now over 4 million EVs on the road. Today, 1 million EVs are sold every six months. Many businesses are choosing electric vehicles for their fleets.
Recognising this global trend, the City of Adelaide has invested in charging stations to position Adelaide as a hub for electric vehicles and ensure that tourists and South Australian regional communities have access to EV charging services when they visit the city.
Electric vehicles also provide better outcomes for residents, the economy and local business, create investment opportunities, and increase the liveability of our city whilst decreasing carbon emissions.
Traditional combustion engine cars create greenhouse gas emissions at the tailpipe, because they use oil for fuel. Electricity is also responsible greenhouse gas emissions when it is generated by burning coal.
In 2017, 49 per cent of the electricity generated in South Australia was from wind and solar power. The means that the carbon emissions associated with driving an electric vehicle in South Australia are already lower than a petrol or diesel car. The Australian Energy Market Operator has forecast that by 2020-2021, 73 per cent of South Australian electricity generation will be from renewable sources, which will reduce emissions associated with electricity further.
Emissions can be further reduced by powering charging stations from rooftop solar systems. At present, there are 50kW solar systems on UPark Rundle St, UPark Central Market and Upark Grote Street. The City of Adelaide is currently delivering a project that will see another 800 kW of solar power installed on our other facilities, including two carparks.
Between 2020 and 2021, the amount of electric vehicles sold in Australia tripled, to over 20,665 in the year, following a variety of incentives from State Governments (source: the State of Electric Vehicles in Australia, 2022, Electric Vehicle Council of Australia).
There were over 34 electric vehicle models available in the Australian market in 2022, with more expected to be introduced in the future.
• Contact the Australian Electric Vehicle Association (SA Branch) for guidance on local service providers
• Contact UPark to secure an electric vehicle charging station for your UPark Permanent Reserve parking bay.
• You may like to look at joining the Carbon Neutral Adelaide Partners Program to demonstrate your shared commitment to Adelaide’s carbon neutral goals.
The Incentives for Sustainability provides rebates of up to $5000 to City of Adelaide property owners and tenants when they install electric vehicle charging stations.
Need more information?
If you have any questions about the City of Adelaide electric vehicle charging stations, please contact the Customer Centre: