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Contents

Australia’s spare parts distribution centre The future of mining is in Australia Securing global supply chains at CMC2025 The reality of Australia’s EV uptake The world’s first carbon-neutral lithium product Aussie mine boss – a true Australian success story Practical project support from strategy to delivery Improve worker wellbeing with a new toolkit from Edith Cowan University Liontown’s lithium liftoff Has Australian lithium been left in the lurch? A rocky reporting season for Australia’s resources sector The Australian Mining Review October 2025 Edition ACE: Fast. Safe. Unstoppable. ADT Commercial Security Drill, Baby, Drill! Caman Engineering Australian Floating Decks Professional Services Maximise Your Productivity Bruce Avery Transport The updated 2024 Isuzu D-MAX Introducing the ARB multi-purpose jack base for safer vehicle lifting The updated 2025 Isuzu MU-X Eastern Guruma integrated services Australia’s original lockout tagout manufacturer since 1992 Australia’s most trusted bulk spring water supplier 20 years of excellence VMS Engineering | Precision. Power. Performance. Your Workforce. Skilled, Certified and Site-Ready Varnish removal made easy Johnson Screens: Screening solutions for Australian mining Vytas makes green hydrogen a reality Geotab and Google Cloud partner for data-driven success MATO Australia’s new generation conveyor belt cleaners MLT New Generation Super-Screw® FRAS/Oil Resistant Mineplast Pro: The superior belt solution Power Control Products: Delivering Safe-T-Products’ conveyor safety innovations to the mining industry Conveyor Idler Failure got you (Shut)down? Dredge pumps in Australia’s mining industry TOMRA’s transformative ore sorting technology Broons’ Graderoll just keeps rolling out the door Weir’s new backfill technology From fabrication to full-scale construction, Murchison Mining Services delivers exceptional results Exactly what you need when you need it Bringing you our world of expertise Quest Maritime Services delivering confidence at sea Dy-Mark mine marking toluene free Oli Group: Driving innovation and reliability in mining & quarrying Transmission repairs and replacements made easy Industrial and marine solutions hire fleet with purpose-built winches and power units How DTN APAC’s inversion and blast dispersion forecasting help the mining industry Steuler expands your horizons Gold, gold, gold Donaldson powers up mining filtration with new dust extraction and air solutions For the next generation of mining The industry leader in OTR and LME tyre management ISUZU FX range squares-up for heavy-duty battle Aerial solutions for mining and exploration The value of experience Driving drilling innovation for more than 40 years Leading Australia’s seismic future with eVibe innovation Supporting smarter mining decisions New technology for near surface exploration Precision drilling Australia’s latest rig rebuild PDR05 Driving excellence in exploration and mine site geoscience Innovators in geophysical exploration Innovative high-tech modular plants Bringing home the medal Protoblast – Take control of your blasting process Coral Sea Resort – Real Rewards for Real Work Titanium prospects Building an empire The titanium titan How can investment grow amidst supply chain woes? TechConnect Coal Comfort Turning waste into wealth ASPEC Engineering and the Amrun Project Australia’s specialised electrical experts The creative construction company World-class material handling solutions Cape-ital gains Australasia’s premier geoscience event AusIMM’s parallel conference debut Digitalisation in mining explored Uranium miner looks to produce with ‘invisible mining’ method For the next generation of mining The Australian Mining Review September 2025 Edition

The reality of Australia’s EV uptake

the realisty of australia's ev uptake

The rapid adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) has brought about significant changes in transportation systems worldwide.

As the number of EVs on the road continues to grow, understanding the charging behaviours of EV drivers becomes increasingly important for infrastructure planning, energy management and policy development.

Australia has seen a notable increase in EV uptake in recent years, making it a suitable case study for examining the development of these behaviours among EV drivers.

To gain deeper insight into the evolving landscape of EV adoption in Australia, The Australian Mining Review speaks with The University of Queensland School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science lecturer Dr Kai Li Lim about the current state of charging infrastructure, the challenges and opportunities facing both urban and regional communities and the role of government policy in shaping the future of electric transport.

AMR: What are the main issues you see with the reliability of charging stations and how does that impact consumer confidence and adoption?
KLL: Reliability is multifaceted. It starts before the charger, with how people locate and access chargers and continues with whether they can start charging successfully and get the expected power. The EV charging landscape is fragmented, with many operators and manufacturers, making maintenance and reliability challenging. Unlike petrol stations, which are dominated by a few companies, EV charging involves many small players, leading to breakdowns and maintenance issues. This impacts consumer confidence, as unreliable infrastructure can deter people from adopting EVs.

AMR: What is your current view of the state of EV charging stations in Australia? Are there any key issues?
KLL: Australia’s charging infrastructure is relatively new, so major problems seen in Europe or the US are less common. However, issues like queuing at busy times and the need to pay a premium for faster charging are emerging. The aggressive rollout is supported by government funding, but maintenance is a concern, especially if subsidies end. Some operators don’t own the chargers, leaving maintenance to others, which can result in abandoned chargers, particularly in rural areas.

AMR: How does range anxiety, especially in regional areas, affect EV adoption in Australia?
KLL: The proliferation of chargers doesn’t directly lead to higher EV uptake, especially in regional areas. Many EV policies are urban-focused and incentives like novated leasing mainly benefit urban populations. In regional areas, EV adoption is more likely to increase as more second-hand vehicles become available. Infrastructure in regional areas often serves travellers rather than local communities, so its impact on local adoption is limited in the short term.

AMR: How does the current policy landscape support EV uptake in Australia?
KLL: The policy landscape is multifaceted, with national and state-level initiatives. The National EV Strategy and vehicle emission standards are bringing more EVs into the country. Federal and state governments are funding charging infrastructure, but some incentives like tax credits and rebates are being phased out as EVs become cheaper. The market is becoming more competitive, with more models and leasing options available.

AMR: Are there any policies from other countries that you think would be helpful in Australia?
KLL: Australia often adopts policies from overseas, such as vehicle efficiency standards inspired by other OECD countries and California. California’s strict standards and regulatory agencies have driven EV adoption, especially for hybrids like the Prius. However, Australia’s approach is softer due to lobbying for heavier vehicles and a focus on passenger vehicles, which doesn’t yet fully support rural and regional needs. More vehicle categories are expected to be introduced in the future.

AMR: Are there any innovations in charging networks that you find interesting or promising for adoption?
KLL: The charging sector is progressing rapidly, with both policy and technological innovations. Examples include capital charging initiatives for people in apartments and advances in hardware and software for chargers. Improved communication protocols make chargers more secure and reliable and remote diagnostics are possible.

AMR: What are your next steps in research, or anything you’d like to highlight for the future?
KLL: The next steps involve understanding EV driving and charging behaviours better, using a large dataset of EVs in Australia. The research aims to identify who benefits from regional chargers and analyse different charging behaviours. There’s interest in whether EVs will shift from being second vehicles to primary vehicles, as seen in Europe. The team also consults with charging providers on best practices for station placement and utilisation.

For more information on the state of EVs in Australia, take a look at Dr Lim’s Evolution of charging behaviours in Australian EV drivers: An empirical study.