Pilbara's Electric Highway Failing to Keep Pace with Demand

Western Australia's Pilbara region is facing a significant challenge in keeping up with the growing demand for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, despite being home to the country's renowned "electric highway". The 110-charging-point network spanning from Mundrabilla to Kununurra has been marred by reports of malfunctioning equipment and broken chargers, causing "range anxiety" for drivers venturing into remote areas.

With electric vehicles outselling petrol and diesel cars in Australia for the first time in August, the need for reliable and accessible charging infrastructure has become increasingly crucial. North West tourism chief executive officer Bill Tatchell emphasized that confidence in charging availability and reliability is vital, particularly in regional areas like the North West.

"The distances here are enormous, so confidence in the availability and reliability of charging is probably even more important in the North West than it is in metropolitan areas," he said.

Tatchell acknowledged that the state's EV Network has made a significant difference by creating a charging spine through the region, but stressed that further development is necessary to support the growing number of EV users.

Drivers and tourism officials warn that the lack of charging infrastructure could deter people from embarking on "bucket list" road trips to the Pilbara. Perth resident Catherin Robinson, a new EV owner, recently undertook a 1,500km drive to Karratha to visit family and described her journey as "sink or swim".

"Range anxiety was very, very real," she said.

Robinson emphasized the need for more charging points, closer together, and that are functional. She believes that the current infrastructure limits travelers' ability to explore the region.

"We had to go from A to B and even though we wanted to … it wasn't worth the time charging to go off," she said.

Bill Tatchell reiterated that improvements and access to the region's chargers are critical as EV use grows.

"Road trips are fundamental to tourism in the North West," he said.

Another EV owner, Michael Kerr, made a 2,700km round trip to Karijini National Park and expressed concerns about the charging network, describing it as "pathetic".

"It's an EV charging line … once you get off the main [North West Coastal] highway, it's bad, really bad," he said.

Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson stated that the state government has provided the backbone of EV charging infrastructure, with over 7,000km of Western Australia connected across 110 charging points.

EV expert Kai Li Lim highlighted the importance of maintenance when installing chargers and suggested that slower, cheaper options in strategic locations could be more affordable.

"We are starting to see this whole notion of chargers … almost like tombstones in the car parks," he said.

Lim emphasized that it is crucial to consider the industrial decarbonisation picture when evaluating the value of remote charging networks.