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Welcome to this new section discussing EVs (Electric Vehicles), especially for rural Australia.
Unlike many countries, Australia, along with the UK and US, suffers a lot of FUD - Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt - propagated by the Murdochracy, among others, on behalf of the fossil fuel industry, against pure electric vehicles and clean power generation. Ditto Stokes' 7West Media. and 9 Entertainment (aka SMH aka The Age). It is also legal for a politician to resign from parliament on Friday, after a career voting against climate change reduction measures and vehicle emission atandards, then take up a job at a fossil fuel company, or to become a lobbyist on their behalf, on Monday. Overseas this is a crime, or at least offically stated as the corruption it is.
Such vehicles are also termed BEVs, battery electric vehicles, as opposed to "hybrids" which include petrol, or very occasionally diesel, engine in the power train; or from vehicles which use hydrogen to generate electricity to charge a small battery, and power the electric motor. Hydrogen cars using engines are very rare, whatever the "Hydrogen is the future" mob, who typically just want noisy cars, or the continuation of the liquid fuels industry, say.
While for some the reason is environmental, for others the attraction is high performance, or cost savings and not using imported fuel. Prices will shortly range from $25k for a BYD, a pittance above the cheapest ICE car to $1 million for a Rolls Royce. Used lower range cars are also available.
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| Porsche Taycan with optional 21-inch Mission E Design wheels. |
My first page answers the question "Are EVs practical in rural Australia?" (they generally are), and includes a list of many of the EVs available in Australia as of early October 2025, including discussion charging: Rural EVs
Comments on extension leads: Using Extension Leads with EVs
Show photos, etc from: Mobility Live 2025 - Sydney with Highways AU.
I'm very keen to add reviews, so if you want your media vehicle reviewed on a rural trip, or at a drive day or similar, let me know by email: julian AT sortland D0T co D0T uk (Note no "h"). Community newsletters also also interested in this content, including weaving the car into a touristy item - say Parkes in a Cadillac to visit the Elvis museum which contains one of his cars from that maker. I also have some older but good Digital SLRs.
Some of my qualifications are in electronics and broadcast systems, so I also have a few pages on electrical power which may be of interest. One explains the Australian 3 phase power system, another Electrical wiring repairs on south-west Pacific islands.
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| LeapMotor B10 SUV, likely in "Light white". |
All Energy at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre is a free event. There are lots of solar companies, providers of batteries from domestic to corporate use to town and grid scale, charging equipment companies, and one selling framing to build carports using panels as the roof. Tindo, the expanding Australian solar panel manufacturer is the lanyard sponsor. MCEC is in officially in South Wharf, very close to South Bank and the southern corner of the CBD, on Spencer Street. Spencer Street Station is now Southern Cross. Visit: https://www.all-energy.com.au/
Future Drive Autoshows run a number of shows. The Sydney International EV Motor Show is claimed to be a revival of the ICE ones held some years ago. It is 31 October to 2 November 2025, at ICC, the International Convention Centre in Darling Harbour, Sydney, close to the L1 Light Rail line (Exhibition Centre or Convention). Like the Melbourne one on 18-20 September 2026 there is a fee to attend, unless you are press. The Commercial and Lifestyle Motor Show, aka Light Commercial Motor show at MCEC is free if you register with business details, one was held in Sydney in August 2025. See: https://www.futuredriveauto.au/
AEVA (the Australian Electric Vehicle Association) has its National Conference at Victoria University's Footscray Park Campus on 13 November https://www.aeva.asn.au/events/1148/. Oddly for something sold to consumers, the fee is plus GST. The difference between member and non-member fees is the full membership price, with pension and concession memberships available for less. Either way, cost is between $192.50 and $220 tax paid, unless you are under 25. They haev a bunch of local meet-ups, even in Darwin,
EVerything Electric [their caps] Melbourne will be held 14-16 November 2025 at the Melbourne Showgrounds. For commercial users, also with people in the electrical / electronics industry registration is here: https://tickets.lup.com.au/everything-electric-melbourne?cat=cat-business, or you can pay. The event will likely be repeated in Sydney, given the photos on the site are in the distinctive halls at Homebush, from a previous year. The organiser is called "Fully Charged".
NRMA is once again running free
EV Drive Days. The next will be at Sutton Road driver training centre just inside the ACT, but described as being at QBN. It is Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 November 2025, 9 am to 4 pm. Book at: https://www.mynrma.com.au/open-road/advice-and-how-to/ev-drive-days
I also noticed an EV drive day at Eastern Creek, now Sydney Motorsport Park. The cost is $95(!).
If you are visiting NZ, the have a lot of events, including Electricarna on 14th March 2026 in Taupo, and NZ Electro Mobility on 21 April 2026 in Auckland.
Mobility Live includes on-road and campus type electric vehicles, chargers, and other infrastructure and services. It is co-located with Highways AU, with only one registration required. Dates are 14 - 15 October 2026. at ICC Sydney. See: https://www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/mobility-live/index.stm
Formula E is an FIA world championship run on high profile racing circuits. The upcoming season in 6 December 2025 to 16 August 2026, with the final two slots now filled. Might they head Downunder? Not this season, despite Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy being Australasian drivers in the series. See: https://www.fiaformulae.com/en
Getting to Melbourne: Labor has applied the Melbourne fare cap to the entire state, this being $11.00 or $5.50 (Concession) on weekdays, and $7.60 or $3.80 on weekends. If in greater Melbourne fares can be paid for using a myki card, or Android 'phones. There is a free city tram zone, although you need to bail out at stop 124 before the bridge, not 124A on the bridge nearer MCEC. On any day you are doing rural travel you can just show your electronic or paper ticket at the ticket gate if they can be bothered to check it, on a bus (orange triangle pattern), or if asked for on a tram, or at a stop. Local trains (blue patterns) are operated by Metro, but have fixed forward or rearward facing seats. There are also silver and plain orange SmartBus cross-town and orbital routes.
If you live in Canberra, Yass, or along the Hume in NSW you can get a V/Line coach (with a partial purple triangle pattern) to Albury or Wodonga, and transfer to a standard gauge V/Locity train at either of these stops, with no further payment as the out-of-state fare exceeds the daily cap, but do book a seat to avoid the risk of standing. This can be done on arrival at Wodonga if not online, or at the Visitors' Centre stop at Gundagai (which is a V/Line booking point, ticket printing location, and the loo stop). There is also a Canberra to Cooma to Bairnsdale route several times a week, connecting with trains to Melbourne, or vis-a-versa. Much of southern NSW (coastal and inland), and of Victoria also have stops. Driving to Seymour to join trains is popular, as there are more options including broad gauge V/Locity sets. Victorian pensioners can apply for free trips. See: https://www.vline.com.au and Public Transport Victoria: https://transport.vic.gov.au.
The NSW Trainlink XPT also arrives at Southern Cross. The Westgate Punt is EFTPOS card only, with no Myki. Ferries elsewhere are outside the PTV system too.
And Lord of the Fries, at major statins and elsewhere, does great breakfast food, Chick'n, and burgers - I'd go there over McD's, HJs, KFC, etc. They also happen to be vegan friendly. High end doughnuts are also a thing around the city. Victoria Markets is the other must go place.
The Victoria Hotel in Little Collins Street, just up from Swanston Steet, is a long-standing tradition for accommodation although it has move upmarket, adn thus price scale.
Pensioners (nationally) can buy Concession myki cards at significant stations, including Wodonga, or order them online. Ditto Child ones. They cost $3 instead of the full fare $6, and yes, these are also available at stations, including from Myki machines. From the airport use the 901 SmartBus to Broadmeadows or Epping; or a station closer to your non-city accommodation, noting that it potentially takes a longer to get to Dandenong or Frankston than the train via the city. Myki: https://transport.vic.gov.au/tickets-and-myki/myki. The third party Moovit app may be useful.
Melbourne Showgrounds are north of Flemington racecourse, and north-west of the CBD. If the event is considered "Major" you can get a train from Southern Cross. Or you can get a Route 57 tram at any time (30 minutes travel), commencing in Elizabeth Street, or a 57a shuttle for major events.
Despite all the impotent anger (now turned misogynistic) you might see on Farcebook, against the premier and government, especially over their much needed public transport expansion, the only significant negative is that there are not express or limited stop outer suburbs to city services, as in Sydney.
Getting to Sydney: Trainlink operates the XPT and Xplorer (XPL) railway services, some to be replaced by Electro-Diesel Multiple Units (R-sets) built with great tardiness by CAF in Spain (thanks Gladys). They also operate coaches around the state, and into the ACT, ditto along the southen border and to Adelaide. If your trip uses Trainlink for part you can book to any Sydney Trains station, Stations downgraded from heavy rail to Metro only have been removed, but places to which the pink rail replacement buses run remain possible for all future bookings, including dates which are presumably post downgrade. Airport stops are also excluded. Bathurst, and certain Goulburn services allow Opal travel on a coach. NSW and ACT pensioners get four free trips per year, including Canberra; to get to Melbourne you pay only for the interstate component.
Sydney Trains has taken over Endeavour DMUs and Hunter sets, along with all Electric Multiple Units. Ticketting on these is by contactless credit / debit card, or Opal. Pension Card Holders and Seniors from anywhere in Australia must apply for the gold coloured Opal card ahead of travel to get the $2.50 daily cap*. TAFE students and job seekers (non-DES) can apply for a Concession one (silver). For Adults (black) and kids (green) this is optional, but otherwise you need to buy from a shop, not a railway station! Crazy, hey?
*Be aware that, being owned by banksters, Sydney airport stations have excessively high station access fees. Take the 420 or 350 bus to Mascot (Domestic) for normal fares; walk to Mascot; or use the 420 to/from Arncliffe (a short walk), Banksia, or Rockdale; or Campsie; or the marked destination, Burwood. Also, using "OpalPay" on the Fast Ferry from Manly eats massive amounts from the balance, without being counted for any daily cap. Use the regular ferry, now back to the Freshwater class, not the unseaworthy imports.
The Royal Agricultural Society was forced to move out of Moore Park in Sydney to the old abattoir site at Homebush Bay, as the result of a very "unusual" deal between the NSW "Liberals" and Fox to build studios, on land gifted in perpetuity to the people of NSW. Get the shuttle train from Platform 0 at Lidcombe (yes, zero), or get a bus 526 from Strathfield or Rhodes; 533 from Chatswood via Ryde; or 525 from Parramatta. For truly major events there are special trains from the long distance part of Central, aka Sydney Terminal, and elsewhere. One day you will be able to wobble your way there on a Metro, or use Light Rail.
Trainlink: https://transportnsw.info/regional-travel, Trip Planner: https://transportnsw.info/trip#/trip, and Opal: https://transportnsw.info/tickets-fares/opal. The Opal App is useful for checking tap-on status, balances, and trip planning. If a service is subject to industrial stupidity, etc, you can turn that mode off.
Murrays and Premier Motor Service are have a range of services, including from Canberra and the NSW south coast, and Greyhound has less frequent services from Canberra, and elsewhere. See https://www.murrays.com.au/ and https://premierms.com.au/
Getting to Canberra or Queanbeyan: Trainlink trains travel from Sydney to Canberra via Goulburn and Queanbeyan. Trainlink and V/Line coaches converge on Canberra as well, including those mentioned. Murrays have stopping coaches from the Wollongong via Moss Vale and Goulburn, from the NSW south coast; and express ones from Sydney. Trains or Trainlink coaches from Goulburn to Canberra, coaches from Cooma to Canberra using Trainlink, and similar routes outside Sydney using Trainlink can be $2.50 if using Country Pensioner Excursion tickets.
Local transport is light rail and buses, some electric. Pensioners can use the MyWay+ app for free off-peak travel or paid travel in peak; others use it for for paid travel. It generates a QR code which you scan. Rock on over to: https://www.transport.act.gov.au/tickets-and-myway/account
CBR and QBN are linked by NSW Transport contractor and buyer of Q-City Buses, CDC Canberra. For pensioner card holders they issue $2.50 RED (Regional Excursion Daily) tickets which can be used across rural NSW. although some use the Trainlink train for the short trip.
Written by Julian Sortland, VK2YJS & AG6LE, October 2025.
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