Record electric vehicle sales are driving a national effort to map Australia's future charging needs and identify choke points and priority areas for investment.
The Electric Vehicle Council announced a $1.43 million project on Tuesday to plan charging infrastructure for millions more electric cars and trucks expected on Australian roads by 2035.
The national road map, backed by a $1.06 million investment from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), will draw on feedback from car makers, electricity networks, charging providers and consumer groups.
It comes after an electric vehicle sales surge in 2026, with battery-electric models accounting for almost one in every four new cars sold during September as petrol and diesel prices climbed.
The national EV charging road map would identify emerging demand for charging infrastructure, Electric Vehicle Council chief executive Julie Delvecchio said, along with potential bottlenecks.
Hundreds of thousands of Australian drivers had already made the choice to move to an electric vehicle, she said, and needed recharging options to keep up with them.
"The focus now needs to be on what happens next so our charging system scales as EV adoption grows," she said.
"The challenge is not simply to deliver more chargers but to ensure we invest in the right charging infrastructure nationally in the right places at the right time."
Australia had more than 600,000 battery-electric vehicles on roads by the end of June, according to the council's State of EVs 2026 report, which were serviced by more than 11,000 public charging points in more than 4200 locations.
The number of fast and ultra-fast charging locations grew by 18 per cent over the past year, the report found, but growth differed between states.
The road map could help charging providers identify and coordinate future investment, Electric Vehicle Council project director Dr Alina Dini said, without prescribing where chargers should be installed.
"Significant investment and innovation are underway but decisions across different sectors are often being made independently, without a shared understanding of future demand," she said.
The map would also identify future requirements for heavy vehicles, ARENA chief executive Darren Miller said, which would play an increasing role in the transport mix.
"While investment in charging infrastructure continues to grow, it's important that future deployment is guided by a clear understanding of where demand will emerge across households, businesses, freight and public charging," he said.
"A reliable and well-planned charging network will be critical to supporting Australia's transport transition."
The road map is due for release in mid-2027.