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Best ways to charge your EV in Melbourne and Victoria
There are more electric charging stations opening up across the country. Here are the most common places you can charge an EV in Victoria.
If you own an electric vehicle or you're considering buying one, you'll want to know where to find convenient, reliable and accessible charging stations. Happily, there are plenty of EV charging options already available across Melbourne and Victoria, with this number growing rapidly to cater to growing demand.
This guide will help keep your EV powered without running into range issues or wasting time searching for a charging location. Download the RACV App to quickly locate public EV charging stations near you.
What to know more about EVs?
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- Guide to electric vehicle charging, plug types and cables
- The cheapest electric cars in Australia in 2024
- Comparing electric vehicle and petrol car servicing costs and differences
Where you can charge an EV in Victoria
At home
Charging your EV at home is usually the most convenient way. Aside from free destination chargers, it’s often the most cost-effective method - especially if the property has solar.
EVs can usually be plugged into any standard AC outlet with a portable charger (up to 2kW), but this is the slowest way to charge an EV. By investing in a dedicated EV charger (7kW or 22kW), you can charge your EV at least three times faster.
RACV home EV chargers give you up to 40km range per hour of charging, or up to 100km range in around 2.5 hours. With a Type 2 plug, they offer universal charging compatible with most EVs sold in Australia.
You can even schedule your home EV charger to only charge during off-peak energy times, or to charge using excess solar energy, further reducing the cost to charge your EV.
At destination and highway EV chargers
Many public carparks at destinations like shopping centres, libraries, parks and community centres are now installing EV charging stations so you can top up during your visit. For example, the Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne Zoo, and MCG all have EV charging stations. The RACV City Club and RACV Resorts all have EV chargers available too.
Select EV chargers are also positioned along popular driving routes throughout Victoria, such as the Great Ocean Road. These stations usually offer fast or ultra-rapid DC charging to get you back on the road quickly.
To find nearby EV charging stations or to plan a road trip based on the location of EV charging stations, download the RACV App, and enter your location and select the plug type you need.
At specific network EV charging stations
Chargefox is Australia’s largest EV charging network, and the RACV App shows you the locations of Chargefox stations across Australia.
The Chargefox network comprises a range of charging technology, from standard AC chargers to DC ultra-rapid chargers that can add up to 400km of range in less than 15 minutes. Plus, most of their DC ultra-rapid chargers are powered by renewable energy.
Download the RACV app to easily find your nearest compatible charger and check charger prices and availability. After plugging in, you can use the app to start your charging session. It will let you know the real-time charging status, so you don’t need to check your car until you’re ready to leave. You can then use the app to pay for your charging, if required.
Many public destinations now have EV charging stations. Image: Shannon Morris
At work
More workplaces are installing EV charging stations for their employees. If your workplace offers EV charging, you could conveniently charge up while you work.
If your workplace doesn't yet offer EV charging, many secure car parks in cities are adding EV charging bays, with some starting to offer monthly subscriptions to gain exclusive access to an EV charging bay. This may also suit EV owners who live in apartments without EV charging facilities or properties without off-street parking.
Road trips with good EV charger coverage
There are plenty of great EV road trip routes across Australia thanks to rapidly expanding charging networks.
Within Victoria, consider Melbourne to Adelaide or Sydney. On the way to Adelaide, there’s a Chargefox charger in Horsham and a Supercharger in Keith.
En route to Sydney, you can find a Supercharger just north of Gundagai and another in Wodonga. Melbourne to Wilsons Promontory is another beautiful road trip full of beach scenery: make a pit stop at RACV Inverloch Resort for Chargefox EV chargers.
The Great Ocean Road is perhaps Victoria’s most famous road trip, taking you from Torquay to Warrnambool with plenty of iconic landmarks like the 12 Apostles along the way. Charge up at RACV Torquay Resort, the Best Western Motel in Apollo Bay, and hotels near the waterfront in Warrnambool.
