Electric vehicles and charging
Battery EVs are simple, uncomplicated, reliable and economical to run compared to a car with a petrol or diesel engine.
Best time to charge your EV at home
Charging EVs during the day (9am-4pm) helps take advantage of rooftop solar and takes the pressure off the energy system during peak times. This is expected to reduce costs for all customers over time.
Use the interactive image below to discover the best time to charge your EV to save costs and reduce demand on the energy system.
Morning peak (5am – 9am)
At this time of the morning, the energy system is under increased load with households and business starting the day. Electricity prices are also higher. Charging is best done outside this time window. EV charging load during this peak period may require energy system upgrades to manage the demand.
During day (9am - 4pm)
This period:
- Maximises use of Queensland’s rooftop solar.
- Avoids the evening peak period, which will help reduce need for energy system upgrades.
- Helps support a balanced grid by adding EV charging load to the system at the right time.
- May be the most cost-effective time to charge your EV (talk to your electricity retailer).
Evening peak (4pm - 9pm)
At this time of the day, the energy system is under its highest load and electricity prices are generally the highest. Charging is best done outside this time window. As EV numbers increase on our roads, if owners choose to charge during this peak period it will likely require energy system upgrades to manage the demand.
Overnight charging (9pm - 5am)
This period is second preference as it avoids the morning and evening peak periods, and takes advantage of available energy system capacity. In turn, this will help deliver a more efficient system.
The cost of charging an EV will depend on where you charge it, your charging equipment, and your home electricity plan. It can be more expensive to charge an EV at a public charging station but these stations generally provide a faster speed of charge.
You can estimate the time and cost of charging your EV at home using the Green Vehicle Guide home charging calculator.
Contact your electricity retailer to find the most cost-effective energy plans for charging your EV which could include a range of ‘time of use’ and ‘off-peak’ tariffs.
Homes with rooftop solar systems
Charging during the day from your rooftop solar system can reduce or even avoid charging costs. Talk to your electricity retailer or installer for more information.
Powering your home with an EV
We are working with electricity network providers to help EV owners to power their home from their EVs in the future.
EV technology is fast improving and Queenslanders will be able to use their EV to power their home as vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid charging technology becomes more commonly available in Australia in the future. With this bidirectional charging, the EV charges its battery from the home energy supply or rooftop solar system during the day when electricity costs are low which can then be used to power the home or supply energy back to the energy system when needed at peak periods or at night.
Understanding your EV Battery
Batteries are essential for all EVs. EV batteries are complex and are continually evolving. Read more about EV batteries, reliability, lifecycle and safety.
Also consider
- Learn more about planning your EV charging in South East Queensland and Regional Queensland.
- Use Energy Made Easy to compare and choose electricity deals by electricity retailers.