Enabling electric vehicle uptake at scale is complex. The transport and electricity sectors are converging but are not generally planned together. Electrification could present significant challenges to the grid if hundreds of electric vehicles are charged at the same time in the same place. Handling this kind of network congestion increases the cost of the grid.
Another potential headache for network managers is unpredictable charging behaviour. Given electric vehicles are inherently mobile, it is difficult to predict the timing, location and duration of their demand on the grid.49
To enable users to take up electric vehicles in a way that benefits both sectors, energy and transport need to be nationally coordinated and planned together. This requires long-term, committed collaboration between government energy and transport departments, energy market operators, transport operators, vehicle manufacturers and charging station installers across Australia.