Sydney EV Charger Access Remains Sparse As Networks Seek Rule Change

Electricity network providers are pushing the NSW government to relax rules blocking them from entering the Sydney EV charger market, arguing the city’s rollout is falling behind as drivers struggle to find somewhere to plug in.

The proposal, reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, comes as volatile fuel prices spike following the conflict in Iran, driving a surge in electric vehicle interest across NSW, with dealers reporting increasing enquiries.

But across suburbs, the picture has been uneven. Despite $149 million in state grants since 2022, large parts of Sydney still have little to no public EV charger coverage.

In Wentworthville, the only listed charger sits inside Wenty Leagues, where access is restricted to members and guests.

In Warwick Farm, the sole charger sits inside the William Inglis Hotel under the same restrictions.

Across Fairfield, Carlingford, Epping, Sans Souci, Jannali and Sutherland, there are no publicly available chargers at all.

In other suburbs, drivers are left circling a single option.

Guildford, for example, has just one charger in a fast-food car park.

Network operators Ausgrid, Essential Energy and Endeavour Energy say they could fast-track rollout, proposing up to 11,000 chargers across Sydney and 22,500 statewide if current rules are loosened.

At the centre of the debate are “ringfencing” laws that keep monopoly electricity networks separate from competitive businesses.

The companies want those boundaries relaxed so they can directly build and run charging infrastructure.

Though the idea has opened a new fault line over who pays.

Documents released under freedom of information laws show several funding models have been put to the NSW government.

One option would see households pay between$1.60 and $2.10 extra a year on their power bills to help fund the rollout, though private operators warn it could distort competition and shift costs onto households that don’t drive EVs.

Another would involve direct government funding, estimated at about $135 million, according to a proposal reported by The Australian Financial Review.

Ausgrid says the change would “turbocharge” EV uptake, particularly for apartment residents without home charging.

“We’re hopeful that we’ll get some good news soon,” said Ausgrid’s Nigel Lowry. “Greater access to public chargers would make a material difference in EV take-up.”

Premier Chris Minns, who owns an EV, said expanding infrastructure is key to making electric vehicles realistic beyond “snobs that live in the eastern suburbs”.

“It’s got to be available to regular mums and dads, and that means, particularly if they’re travelling and driving for work, they don’t have range anxiety, they can get access to a recharger,” he added.

Minister of Energy Penny Sharpe said the government is still weighing its options as it finalises an updated EV strategy.

“We are considering all options to support NSW households now, and past this current fuel shock,” she said.