Councils left to pay for WA's aging EV charging network

Launched in 2025, WA's network of electric vehicle chargers is aging and experiencing significant maintenance issues.

The Shire of Harvey is facing a bill of up to $120,000 to replace and upgrade the town's only charging station.

The energy minister says local governments and the private sector must take responsibility for maintaining the network.

Communities along Western Australia's first electric vehicle charging network say they are struggling with the cost of maintaining and upgrading its aging charging stations.

Launched to significant fanfare in 2015, WA's first "electric highway" in the state's South West includes charging stations between Monkey Mia and Esperance.

But with EV ownership surging across Australia, the network is struggling to keep pace with growing demand.

After insurer RAC withdrew from the project last year after a decade of involvement, maintenance and management were left in the hands of local councils and the private sector.

In Harvey, 140 kilometres south of Perth, the local shire needs to pay $50,000 to $120,000 to replace and upgrade its faulty charging station installed in 2015.

Deputy Shire President Craig Carbone said it was beyond the scope of local government to maintain.

"But it could be another thing where they've come up with the idea, and the cost ends up with local government, and that's something I don't want to see," he said.

The number of licensed electric vehicles in WA has risen from 150 when the first chargers were installed in 2015, to more than 60,000 in June this year.

The WA government contributed more than $23 million to the network as part of a $43 million subsidy package for EV infrastructure.

Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the government only intended to build the network's "spine".

"We need the private sector and local government to step up and support the network," she said.

"The state government has done much of the heavy lifting here.

"Local governments provide all sorts of services and support; I do think it's appropriate they also provide that opportunity for their ratepayers to charge their EVs."

The Shire of Harvey has decided to spend about $4,000 for a short-term repair for its public charger, rather than remove it, while it investigates other options.

Harvey caravan park owner James Corby hopes the charger remains in town for passing motorists.

"If we don't have an obvious EV charging location, it makes our location far less attractive to those motorists," he said.

Electric-highway charging stations in some towns have closed, or been taken over by private operators.

In Busselton and Dunsborough, the council has removed its chargers on the two foreshores, but said private operators opened chargers at local shopping centres.

The private sector has also taken over the original RAC EV charger in Bridgetown.

In the north of the state, travellers have complained the network is plagued by faults and failing to keep up with demand.

The Australian Electric Vehicle Association WA spokesman Ant Day said more needed to be done to keep charging stations in smaller towns like Harvey.

Mr Corby said the state government needed to step in.

"It shouldn't be the responsibility of local government, or local businesses," he said.

"Who are already finding things tough in this economic climate, to be footing the bill."