Western Australia’s (WA) “Electric Highway,” a network of charging stations stretching from Kununurra to Mundrabilla, is facing criticism from electric vehicle (EV) owners who say the infrastructure is unreliable and poorly maintained.
Praise and Problems
Although WA’s EV network has been lauded internationally, including being named one of the New York Times’ “52 Places To Go This Year,” local EV enthusiasts argue the reality is less impressive. Charging stations, critical for long-distance EV travel, are frequently out of order, some for weeks at a time.
Pete Petrovsky, treasurer of the WA Tesla Owners Club, emphasized the issue, stating, “Unfortunately, the reliability of chargers in WA isn’t quite there.” Both government-operated and privately-installed chargers face significant downtime, he noted.
Government Response
Energy Minister Reece Whitby acknowledged the challenges, citing vandalism and the state’s remoteness as key issues in maintaining the network. “We have a remote state so we have issues in terms of the remoteness and maintaining those [EV charging] services,” he said.
Whitby assured that Horizon Power and Synergy are expected to uphold high maintenance standards. However, some incidents, like James Collins’ experience at Mundrabilla Roadhouse, where an attempt to charge his car resulted in a blackout, suggest otherwise.
Limited EV Rentals
The lack of electric vehicles available for rent in WA further complicates the state’s efforts to promote EV tourism. An investigation by the ABC found that no car rental companies in the South West region had EVs in their fleets, citing concerns over insufficient charging infrastructure and the low resale value of EVs.
Local rental company owner Roger Secker expressed skepticism, stating, “Customers tend to be able to abuse everything, and EVs would be horrendous.”
Future Prospects
Despite these setbacks, there is hope for improvement. Petrovsky believes that with more reliable infrastructure, rental companies and tourists will eventually embrace EVs. “We need chargers every 100 kilometers… we need reliability and availability,” he said. “You know, build them and they will come.”
As WA continues to invest in its EV network, the state government and private stakeholders will need to address these challenges to realize the full potential of the “Electric Highway.”