Brisbane Floods Expose EV Charging Infrastructure Vulnerability. However some residents found ways around the charging needs.
The recent rain bomb that deluged parts of Brisbane, Queensland, has exposed the vulnerability of the electric vehicle charging infrastructure there. Over 1 meter of rain fell in three days. It was not just the Tesla Superchargers close to the city center that were unavailable, but many other sites belonging to other providers also.
As Adam, who was charging at the still operational Hamilton Queensland Electric Superhighway site, told me: “Last night I redirected 5–7 cars away from Hamilton QESH all looking for DC fast charging. This included one family who needed to travel home to Mullumbimby .”There are only 3 QESH chargers in Brisbane. Many other chargers were operational and above the flood level, but the approaches were under water.center is a good example of this. We have two dedicated charging area.
Other chargers were available but malfunctioning like the chargers at North Lakes IKEA. Customers found they weren’t able to be started with the app. The downpour also highlighted the fact that most chargers are outside with no cover. This is uncomfortable in the rain and also in Brisbane’s very warm summers. As time progresses and infrastructure evolves, it would be good to see some European style charging stations built where there is some thought given to the comfort of those charging up.
On a positive note, one person noted: “My zappi was partially underwater, but hosed off and working fine now.”