EV Charging Apps Australia

Almost nobody needs all ten. Charging in Australia is split across several operators, and each one runs its own app with its own account and its own payment method. What you install depends on where you charge, not on which app is best.

A useful way to think about it is three layers. The first is a map that shows every charger regardless of who owns it, so you can see what exists near you. The second is the network apps for the operators you actually use, because those are what start a charge and take payment. The third is a route planner, which only earns its place once you start driving beyond your car's range in a single day.

Most drivers settle on one map app, one or two network apps for the chargers near home and on their regular routes, and a planner they open a few times a year. If you charge at home most of the time — which is how the large majority of EV owners in Australia charge — you may open these apps only when you travel.

PlugShare

PlugShare is the closest thing to a complete map of Australian charging. It lists chargers from every operator on one map, including free destination chargers at hotels, shopping centres and council car parks that never appear in a single network's own app. Its real value is the check-in history: drivers leave comments and photos when a charger works or fails, so you can often tell whether a site is reliable before you commit to driving there. It does not start charges on most networks — treat it as the map you look at first, not the app you pay with.

A Better Route Planner (ABRP)

ABRP plans a long drive around charging stops rather than just distance. You enter your vehicle, and it estimates consumption using speed, elevation, temperature and payload, then tells you where to stop, how long to charge and what state of charge you will arrive with. That matters because range drops noticeably at highway speed and in cold weather, which a simple distance calculation ignores. It is most useful for trips longer than a single charge; for everyday driving it is more precision than the journey needs.

If you want to see how much range those conditions actually cost you before you plan a trip, the EV range calculator shows the effect of highway speed, heat and cold on your own car.

These are the apps that actually start a charge and take payment. You will need an account with each operator whose chargers you use, though many now also accept a contactless card at the charger itself.

Chargefox

One of the largest public networks in Australia, covering everything from slower AC chargers to ultra-rapid DC sites on major highway routes. Chargefox has long-standing partnerships with the state motoring clubs, so members of some clubs get discounted or occasionally free charging at particular sites — worth checking if you already hold a membership.

Evie Networks

Evie focuses on fast and ultra-rapid DC charging, concentrated on highway corridors and in metropolitan areas. It is one of the networks most likely to be useful on a long drive between capital cities.

BP Pulse and Ampol AmpCharge

Both are fuel retailers building charging into existing service stations. The practical advantage is location and amenity: these sites already have toilets, coffee and somewhere to sit, which matters more than you expect on a twenty to forty minute DC charge. Coverage is still expanding, so check the map rather than assuming your usual servo has chargers.

Jolt

Jolt runs kerbside chargers in urban areas, funded in part by advertising on the units themselves. It is best known for offering a free daily allowance of energy, with charging beyond that allowance billed at a normal rate. For drivers without off-street parking who can top up regularly near home, that model can cover a meaningful share of everyday driving.

Exploren

Exploren is more often found in apartment buildings, workplaces and destination car parks than on highways. If you live in a strata building with shared chargers, this is the kind of operator that runs them.

My NRMA

The NRMA app covers its own charging network, which has unusually good coverage in regional New South Wales where commercial operators are thinner on the ground. Members may receive different rates, and the app also handles the rest of an NRMA membership.

Tesla

The Tesla app manages a Tesla vehicle — charge state, preconditioning, locking — and Supercharger access. Superchargers were historically Tesla-only, but selected Australian sites have been opened to other brands under the Supercharger network's non-Tesla access programme, billed through the same app. If you drive something else, it is worth checking whether the Superchargers on your route are open sites.

Rates differ substantially between these operators, and the difference shows up quickly over a year. The EV charging cost calculator compares them side by side for your own battery, and EV charging networks sets out who runs what.