Which are the most EV friendly capital cities in Australia? The answer may surprise

Canberra has emerged as Australia’s most electric vehicle (EV) friendly capital city, according to a recent report by Rollin’ Insurance. The city topped the rankings due to its exceptional EV uptake and extensive charging infrastructure, scoring 84.37 out of 100. Canberra boasts 83.78 EV charge connectors per 100,000 residents and an EV ownership rate of 3.06 per cent, significantly outpacing other capitals. While its charging costs and growth in EV market share since 2021 are moderate, these factors combined have firmly established Canberra as the national leader in EV friendliness. The report evaluated Australian capitals based on four criteria: availability of charging infrastructure, charging costs, current EV ownership, and the rate of adoption growth since 2021. Greater Perth and Sydney followed Canberra in the rankings, benefiting from relatively affordable charging prices and healthy EV adoption rates. In contrast, Adelaide presented a notable anomaly; despite being the country’s most renewable energy-advanced state with a green grid and low charging costs, it recorded one of the lowest EV ownership rates, second only to Darwin. This highlights a disconnect between renewable energy availability and EV uptake in some regions. When examining sub-city areas, Inner Perth outperformed all others with the highest density of charging connectors and strong EV market growth, while the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) ranked sixth on this more granular scale. Sydney’s inner city and southern suburbs showed the highest EV penetration, exceeding four per cent, closely followed by North Sydney, Hornsby, and parts of the ACT. The study also revealed that regional centres are increasingly competitive with urban areas in terms of charger density, signalling that EV adoption is spreading beyond metropolitan hubs. Brendan Griffiths, executive manager at Rollin’, emphasised the importance of location in EV adoption, noting that accessible charging, reasonable costs, and growing local uptake are key to making EV ownership practical. He also pointed out that regional Australia is making significant strides, with some areas now offering higher charger density than major cities. As EV ownership continues to rise nationwide, Australians are becoming more discerning about which locations best support the transition to electric transport, underscoring the evolving landscape of EV infrastructure and adoption across the country.