EV Charging on the Nullarbor

You can cross the Nullarbor in an electric car — plenty of people do — but it takes far more planning than a petrol or diesel car. There are chargers along the Eyre Highway, but on the remote stretch east of Norseman many are slow, and some have been out of service for weeks at a time. This page sums up what EV drivers who've done the trip recommend.

The short version: check PlugShare and the charging operators' apps a day or two ahead and again on the day, have a Plan B for every charger, carry your own cables, and expect the crossing to take longer than in a fuel car.

What's on the route

The Western Australian government's WA EV Network, launched in mid-2025, put chargers at roadhouses between Norseman and the South Australian border. Since then they have had repeated reliability and speed problems, reported by the ABC and the Australian Electric Vehicle Association (AEVA). Several sites run off roadhouse generators or stand-alone power systems, and some have been limited to slow AC charging.

AEVA members say the most reliable chargers on the route have been the crowdfunded 20 kW DC chargers at Balladonia and Cocklebiddy. On the South Australian side there are NRMA chargers at Nullarbor Roadhouse. AEVA has also installed 3-phase outlets along the route, and these have been a back-up when fast chargers fail.

We don't list which chargers are working — it changes week to week. PlugShare check-ins from other drivers are the best guide to what's working now.

Planning your charging

Expect less range. AEVA drivers report about 20% less range than usual because of the coarse chip-seal road surface, and strong winds can cut it further.
Pick your fast chargers in advance and know where the next one after it is — sometimes 150 km away. Your Plan B may be a slower 3-phase or caravan park outlet.
Allow extra time. One AEVA member took 14 hours to cover a stretch that should have taken seven, much of it waiting on slow chargers.
Book accommodation with power. Charging overnight at a motel or caravan park takes the pressure off the next day.

Cables and apps to take

Your portable charger for ordinary 10-amp sockets, plus a heavy-duty extension lead.
A Type 2 to Type 2 cable for “bring your own cable” sites.
Portable chargers for 32-amp 3-phase (5-pin) and 15-amp caravan park outlets. Some 3-phase sites are only rated for 20 amps — check before plugging in, so you don't black out a roadhouse that runs on its own generator.
The PlugShare, Chargefox, NRMA and Tesla apps, logged in and tested before you leave, and an RFID charging card in case there's no internet at the charger.

Phone coverage

Coverage between roadhouses is patchy, and Telstra reaches further than other networks. EV drivers recommend having Telstra (or a Telstra eSIM) so you can call a charger's help line if it won't start.

Driving safely

The usual Nullarbor rules apply: avoid driving at dawn, dusk and night because of wildlife, give road trains and wide loads room, and rest often. Remember that a flat battery between roadhouses is harder to fix than an empty fuel tank — you can't carry a jerry can of electricity.

Sources: AEVA, “Reflections on crossing the Nullarbor in an EV” (February 2026); ABC News (March 2026); The Driven (June 2026). Checked October 2026.

More Nullarbor planning

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