To those new to electric vehicles, one of the biggest and most obvious differences between traditional petrol or diesel-powered cars and electric cars (or EVs) is how they refuel or recharge.
Of course, they need electricity rather than petrol or diesel, but how do you know which electric vehicle can take what charging plug, what speed it can charge at, and do all chargers and cars have the same plugs?
In this updated 2026 guide, we’ll give you a comprehensive introduction to charging an electric vehicle in Australia.
Key Terminology
There’s a ton of jargon, industry terminology, and acronyms when it comes to charging an electric vehicle. You don’t need to know it all, but a basic understanding helps.
We have:
- Charging Levels – the power, and therefore speed, at which you can charge your electric vehicle, grouped into a few key bands (Levels 1 to 3).
- Charging Types – the physical plug connector type that plugs into your electric car.
What are the different levels or speeds of electric vehicle charging?
While all electric vehicle chargers provide electricity to a vehicle, they do so at different speeds, or ‘Levels’, depending on their type of electricity connection.
What is the difference between AC and DC charging?
Another very important point with EVs is that they can charge via both AC and DC. The battery inside is DC, but depending on where you’re charging, you might charge it with AC or DC.
Typically, AC charging is done at the lower Levels 1 or 2. When you do this, there is an AC to DC inverter inside the car that converts the AC power into DC power, allowing it to be stored in the battery.
Most Level 3 charging is DC. This means the electricity bypasses the AC/DC inverter and is put straight into the battery, allowing for much faster and more efficient charging.
The charging rates are referred to as “Levels“. The higher the level, the faster the charging – in most cases.
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | |
| Example: | A regular power point in your house | A home or public wall charger | A high-powered public DC Fast Charger |
| Power: | 1.4 – 2.8 kW | 7 – 22 kW | 25 – 350+ kW |
| Charge Rate: | 10-15 km/hr of charge | 35-130 km/hr of charge | 150-1000+ km/hr of charge |
Level 1 Chargers – up to 2.8kW AC
Level 1 charging is essentially just charging your electric car from a regular 10A household power point. This is a common and easy way to charge, especially for those renting an electric vehicle at home or in holiday accommodation without a dedicated charger.
While a Level 1 Charger won’t charge your car very fast, if you’re not driving too far each day, it can be fine for many people. If you left your car charging overnight – for example, for 10 hours – then you’d be gaining around 100-150 kms of range depending on your vehicle.
As most people don’t drive anywhere near that distance every day, they shouldn’t have any problems. Each morning they’ll wake up with a “full tank” and be good to go.
A Level 1 charger cable is usually included with all vehicles, including those available to rent through evee – so you can plug in at a wall socket, as long as it is close enough to the car, the wiring and outlet are relatively modern, and you have permission from whoever pays the bill.
Level 2 Chargers – up to 22kW AC
Level 2 chargers are higher power, so you can charge more quickly. You will find Level 2 chargers commonly in public places with free or paid charging, such as shopping centres, hotels, and the Tesla Destination Charger network. You can also install them in your home.
Whilst most Level 2 chargers at home would range from 7 kW (single-phase) to 22 kW (three-phase), many public Level 2 chargers go all the way up to 22 kW. Many EVs will take a maximum of 11kW from a Level 2 charger, although some are specced with greater capability. Giving a good amount of power, these chargers could fully charge most electric cars in 5-8 hours.
Level 3 Chargers – DC Fast Charging
Finally, we have the fastest chargers, including the ‘ultrafast’ chargers which currently top out at around 350kW. While most vehicles on the market are unable to charge that fast, many will max out at above 150kW and charge to 80% within around 15 to 30 minutes.
Level 3 chargers enable the fastest charging rates, and as they can charge your car extremely quickly, they take up a huge amount of power. Some examples of Level 3 charging networks in Australia include Chargefox, Tesla’s Supercharger Network, Evie Networks, NRMA, AmpCharge, and JOLT. For a detailed comparison of these networks, see our Complete Guide to Australia’s EV Charging Networks. They are most useful when travelling long distances – you’ll pay for the convenience of a fast charge vs lower level, slower chargers.
What types of EV charging plugs are there?
While the charging stations themselves are referred to with “Levels”, the physical plugs you plug into the cars are normally referred to as “Types”.
In Australia, the standard has firmly settled on the European-style connectors. Since 2020, all new EVs sold in Australia must be fitted with both AC and DC plugs that meet these standards.
The main plug types you will come across in Australia today are:
- Type 2 (Mennekes): The standard for AC charging (Levels 1 and 2). It supports both single-phase and three-phase charging. Almost all new EVs in Australia use this for home and destination charging.
- CCS2 (Combined Charging System Combo 2): The standard for DC fast charging (Level 3). It is essentially a Type 2 plug with two additional large DC pins at the bottom. This is the most common fast-charging plug in Australia, used by Tesla, BYD, Hyundai, Kia, Polestar, and more.
- CHAdeMO: An older Japanese standard for DC fast charging. While becoming less common on new cars (mostly found on the Nissan Leaf and some Mitsubishi PHEVs), it is still widely supported at public fast-charging stations.
What about Tesla’s NACS connector? While Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) is becoming the dominant plug in the USA, it is not used in Australia. This is because NACS does not support three-phase AC charging, which is common in Australian homes and businesses. Australian Teslas use the standard Type 2 and CCS2 connectors.
Summing up
The state of electric car charging in Australia has matured greatly, with all new models now coming with the industry standard Type 2 plug for AC charging, and CCS2 for fast Level 3 DC charging. With generous EV incentives available across Australian states, there has never been a better time to make the switch.
In most cases, you’ll be able to rent an electric car via evee, collect it, and charge it easily at a vast range of public chargers. If you are going off the beaten track, use plugshare.com to help plan your trip.
Your evee host will help with your charging questions before your rental or at the time of collection too. For a simpler overview, you can also check out our Beginner’s Guide to Charging.
