Repository of DC fast charger information

[Chuq]

(This post primarily refers to non-Tesla charging infrastructure but I thought it may be of interest to many here.)

Quick intro:

• Plugshare is the de facto reference from charging infrastructure in Australia, and serves its purpose well.

• I recently tried using ABetterRoutePlanner (ABRP) and found that many locations were missing. I looked around their site and found that they have asked Plugshare if they could use their information, but Plugshare is a commercial entity and wants to charge a fee for access to this data. I find this particularly disappointing as a lot of the content on Plugshare was contributed by us, the general public, for free.

• Anyway, this lead me down the path of possible alternate repositories of this information. I found a site called OpenChargeMap which is a non-profit organisation, and it's content is licensed appropriately - so others can use it. (It is one of many sources that ABRP uses).

• I'm not suggesting replacing Plugshare, it is great for finding obscure locations such as caravan parks or 10A outlets in towns in the middle of nowhere, or showgrounds with 3-phase outlets, or people offering up their residential chargers. It's also great for recording photos and check-ins of locations so people know what to expect.

• With EVs hitting the mainstream, "normal" people will be wanting to know which fast chargers can be used to travel certain routes across the country. My suggestion is making sure that data on all major DC fast charge networks are available in a consistent format. This might be something that major players like Tesla, Chargefox, and probably Evie (Fast Cities) will do, but other organisations such as the Queensland Government or NRMA might not have the resources, or it may not be a priority.

I've chatted with the ABRP admins on their forum and they have confirmed that they can import site data from a Google Spreadsheet without an issue. Given this is the quickest and easiest method to set up, I've gone ahead and done that.

Please take a look at: Australia fast charger locations

Note the first tab is the data (list of sites), the second tab has some further notes and comments.

 

[rohan_aus]

(This post primarily refers to non-Tesla charging infrastructure but I thought it may be of interest to many here.)

Quick intro:

• Plugshare is the de facto reference from charging infrastructure in Australia, and serves its purpose well.

• I recently tried using ABetterRoutePlanner (ABRP) and found that many locations were missing. I looked around their site and found that they have asked Plugshare if they could use their information, but Plugshare is a commercial entity and wants to charge a fee for access to this data. I find this particularly disappointing as a lot of the content on Plugshare was contributed by us, the general public, for free.

• Anyway, this lead me down the path of possible alternate repositories of this information. I found a site called OpenChargeMap which is a non-profit organisation, and it's content is licensed appropriately - so others can use it. (It is one of many sources that ABRP uses).

• I'm not suggesting replacing Plugshare, it is great for finding obscure locations such as caravan parks or 10A outlets in towns in the middle of nowhere, or showgrounds with 3-phase outlets, or people offering up their residential chargers. It's also great for recording photos and check-ins of locations so people know what to expect.

• With EVs hitting the mainstream, "normal" people will be wanting to know which fast chargers can be used to travel certain routes across the country. My suggestion is making sure that data on all major DC fast charge networks are available in a consistent format. This might be something that major players like Tesla, Chargefox, and probably Evie (Fast Cities) will do, but other organisations such as the Queensland Government or NRMA might not have the resources, or it may not be a priority.

I've chatted with the ABRP admins on their forum and they have confirmed that they can import site data from a Google Spreadsheet without an issue. Given this is the quickest and easiest method to set up, I've gone ahead and done that.

Please take a look at: Australia fast charger locations

Note the first tab is the data (list of sites), the second tab has some further notes and comments.

Not sure if it was you who created this? But it could be useful, it tracks the NRMA network. One location I noticed is active but not on your spreadsheet is Nabiac. I've generally been updating this spreadsheet when things go live or info comes out on possible locations.

NRMA Locations

 

[Chuq]

Not sure if it was you who created this? But it could be useful, it tracks the NRMA network. One location I noticed is active but not on your spreadsheet is Nabiac. I've generally been updating this spreadsheet when things go live or info comes out on possible locations.

NRMA Locations

Yep, that was mine! I considered updating and expanding that one but then it becomes a massive unmanageable spreadsheet that is trying to be everything to everyone. The new spreadsheet I've tried to keep it solely to the information that is of relevance to route/charge mapping, and active sites only.

 

[Chuq]

An update here (good news) - ABetterRoutePlanner is now importing information from the Google Sheet I linked! Try their site and use a Kona to get from Geelong to Walgett and you'll see what I mean

Or try a Tesla traversing to an area that is outside of supercharger coverage, such as Emerald Qld to Balranald NSW.

I'm working on getting OpenChargeMap to use the same data.

 

[raynewman]

An update here (good news) - ABetterRoutePlanner is now importing information from the Google Sheet I linked! Try their site and use a Kona to get from Geelong to Walgett and you'll see what I mean

Or try a Tesla traversing to an area that is outside of supercharger coverage, such as Emerald Qld to Balranald NSW.

I'm working on getting OpenChargeMap to use the same data.

G'day, have you seen the PlugShare (beta) route planner?
How does it compare?

 

[Chuq]

G'day, have you seen the PlugShare (beta) route planner?
How does it compare?

Different purposes I think. ABRP lets you put start and end locations in and it works out (based on your vehicle, speed limits, elevation, etc) where you need to charge. Like the Tesla trip planner except includes public DC chargers as well.

Plugshare just highlights the locations on your route and you choose your stops yourself. Not really a route planner in itself, it's more of a side feature.

 

[technerdx6000]

This is brilliant! Thank you. I noticed the Queensland electric highway chargers have all appeared on ABRP and now I know it is your doing @Chuq

 

[alexeiw123]

An update here (good news) - ABetterRoutePlanner is now importing information from the Google Sheet I linked! Try their site and use a Kona to get from Geelong to Walgett and you'll see what I mean

This is excellent, great work chuq (as always).
So ticking the CCS2 option when theorising model 3 trips will now work...

 

[Petergarrett38]

Hoping someone can help, I often want to use a DC fast charging unit, with CHAdeMO and CCS2 connectors in Batemans Bay. Its on the NRMA EV fast charging network. Can someone let me know the best way to use this, eg. buy or borrow a CHAdeMO or can I get a CCS2 adapter? From what I have gathered its only CHAdeMO that a 2018 Model S can use at the moment? Do I need an account with NRMA? heading down there in a weeks time and don't want to get stuck waiting for some ICE car parked in the soldiers club charging bay to move. Thanks in advance.

 

[meloccom]

Hoping someone can help, I often want to use a DC fast charging unit, with CHAdeMO and CCS2 connectors in Batemans Bay. Its on the NRMA EV fast charging network. Can someone let me know the best way to use this, eg. buy or borrow a CHAdeMO or can I get a CCS2 adapter? From what I have gathered its only CHAdeMO that a 2018 Model S can use at the moment? Do I need an account with NRMA? heading down there in a weeks time and don't want to get stuck waiting for some ICE car parked in the soldiers club charging bay to move. Thanks in advance.

A Tesla CHAdeMO adapter will work now and the TOCA has a loan program. I’m currently in QLD and have a TOCA CHAdeMO adapter in my boot.
When Tesla gets enough stock of CCS2 adapters that will be the better option as most of the changes are fitted to the car when you order the CCS2 adapter and the adapter itself is relatively small.

 

[rohan_aus]

Hoping someone can help, I often want to use a DC fast charging unit, with CHAdeMO and CCS2 connectors in Batemans Bay. Its on the NRMA EV fast charging network. Can someone let me know the best way to use this, eg. buy or borrow a CHAdeMO or can I get a CCS2 adapter? From what I have gathered its only CHAdeMO that a 2018 Model S can use at the moment? Do I need an account with NRMA? heading down there in a weeks time and don't want to get stuck waiting for some ICE car parked in the soldiers club charging bay to move. Thanks in advance.

CHAdeMO adapter only on Pre-2019 Model S/X unless you've had the CCS2 retrofit undertaken at Tesla Service (at a cost of approx $700). All NRMA chargers are currently free to use and don't require an app or RFID, just plug in and hit the start button!

 

[Techno-phile]

If you are interested in trying to persuade the WA State government to implement their own consultant's report which recommends installing DC chargers at 200kms intervals on Main roads out of Perth, please vote for the following challenge.
It already has the most votes for any challenge, but it would assist our campaign if we could get to 500 votes.
The state government has set up this site to collect ideas for economic development post covid.

If we end up with the most votes, we can then go to our MLAs and make sure the State doesn't try to bury their own consultant's report.

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure - iThink (WA Public Sector)

 

[Stratman]

lots of good ideas here and that spreadsheet via the link is helpful

 

[Chuq]

The spreadsheet was mentioned in another thread so thought I'd provide a bit of an update here... It's a bit out of date! A few reasons:

• The primary purpose was to allow for import into ABRP. (For those who aren't aware, all the data we contribute to Plugshare gets locked behind a paywall so far as API access goes, so ABRP can't use that.) These days ABRP imports direct from some networks (Chargefox and Evie, at least) making keeping the spreadsheet updated less of a priority.
• Having this site list was (for me) particularly important for regional route planning. However a lot of the new sites in 2022-23 are in suburban parts of capital cities, so I haven't been as enthused to update them since they don't assist with navigation (and a lot of them are auto imported via network directly as mentioned above).
• But as well as that... in 2020 there was maybe one new charging stations a week, each one was well publicised, updating the sheet was easy... In 2023 there is probably close to one a day. So I just haven't kept up.

I still think the sheet has benefit - there are a lot of chargers run by one-off private organisations, smaller networks, or even larger networks that don't have a data sharing agreement (e.g. Ampol). In addition, unlike ABRP/Plugshare, I record locations of not-yet-opened sites sometimes where the address is not known, as well as the opening year and month, as well as a few other fields - this allows me to use the data to create animations such as this:

The spreadsheet link is here - Australia fast charger locations - note that anyone can add comments (right-click - Comment) - please do so if you want to.

Please see the 'Notes' tab for further description of the main 'Data' tab. All other tabs are basically "scratch" tabs where I've been mucking about/testing.