In a country as vast as Australia, travelling across its plains and long winding roads has been a lifelong pastime of holidaying Sydney suburbanites. So much so, that Holden even named one of their iconic commodores of the 80’s “The Vacationer”. It was even marketed with a true-blue, you-beaut ad that highlighted the great Aussie tradition of the driving holiday.
The Australian highway has provided thousands of drivers a direct passage along our beautiful landscape to visit our state neighbours. Decades ago, the trusty family sedan would have made it to either location by refilling two or three full tanks of fuel at any one of the many service stations littered on either side of the highway. But now, Aussie families and tourists alike wish to keep the tradition of the interstate driving holiday, while also making the conscientious decision to do it in a greener and more efficient way. Therefore, it begs the question, is it possible to take the electric car out of the city and on the “wide open road”?
The driving range of an EV will first be determined by how many stops you make. Many people considering such a trip might ask themselves the practical question of exactly how far an electric car can go? Some of the recent popular choices which cover both ends of the price and distance spectrum include;
- The mid-sized Hyundai Kona can travel 484kms on a single charge.
- The elegant Mercedes-Benz EQC that claims 471kms
- Or an all-rounder sedan, the Tesla Model 3, which boasts an impressive 580km (depending on the version)
Any one of the above options will easily take you half the 850km distance to Melbourne on a full charge, and that’s also factoring in the odd pit stop to fill up on snacks or take in the sights. But no need to worry, once you’ve made it to the first leg of your journey, there are even more charging stations along the way.
Taking a quick look at the drive zero maps of charging stations, there are almost a hundred or more public charging stations on our journey down south. For those who are happy to walk around the local town and see what the Australian countryside has to offer, waiting to charge your EV with one of the many public single or 3-phase charging stations using the “fast charge” option will afford you around 40 km per hour when using the “fast charge” option. However, if you happen to be in a hurry, we recommend choosing one of the many dozens of high-powered DC rapid-charging stations. Doing so will entitle you to speedy charging times, with many fully recharging most EVs in under 30 minutes.
To truly make the most of your EV adventure from Sydney to Melbourne, we recommend first passing through the Great Pacific Drive on the way to the Kiama blowhole. From there, you can head further down past Nowra – an iconic town well known for its beautiful riverbanks, wineries, museums, and art galleries.
Driving down the Princess highway will lead travellers to the famous whale watching town of Jervis Bay, as well as the serene beaches and quaint dining spots of Mollymook.
At this location, many will meet a fork in their path, where a tough decision must be made- either continuing to follow the coast down south through Batemans Bay to the Bega, or heading inland through Canberra, Wagga Wagga, and along the infamous road to Gundagai. No matter which direction is chosen on the final stretch to Melbourne, EV drivers can rest assured that there will be plenty of charging stations along the way.
As we have seen, taking the family EV on the next vacation is an easy and enjoyable option. Many EVs currently on the market can go just as far on a full charge as their petrol counterparts, and hybrids can potentially make the whole trip without stopping. Now that there are just as many charging stations as there are service stations, EV owners are free to explore anywhere they like.
