Electric vehicle (EV) owners have the opportunity to fully charge their vehicles for less than $5 (US$3.29) with a new trial called EV Power Up, offered by major Australian energy firm Origin Energy. The company plans to offer this trial to at least 200 Tesla EV owners in early 2024. This initiative, which is the first of its kind in Australia, allows customers to charge their EVs at 8 cents per kilowatt-hour using an app at their preferred time.
According to Origin Future Energy General Manager Brendan Manzie, the company will charge the vehicle based on where electricity is the “most available” and “cheapest to access.” He also believes that by 2030, there will be around 3 million EV cars on the road in Australia, which could pose a challenge if everyone charges at the same time.
Origin Energy’s EV Power Up is a game-changer that aims to provide scheduled EV charging in the app at a tailor-made super low 8c/kWh rate at any time during the customer’s schedule, irrespective of the energy plan they are on. A Tesla typically costs between $16 to $49 to fully charge, depending on the model and type of charger, as reported by Zecar.
In addition to the news related to EV charging, data released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) shows that EV sales hit a record in 2023, with battery electric vehicles accounting for 7.2 percent of all vehicles sold in Australia. This marks more than double the amount from the previous year. Overall, Australia’s automotive sales also broke records in 2023, with more than 1.21 million vehicles sold during the year.