You can make a full west coast run with an electric vehicle in 2026, but only with the mindset of a realist. The limited number of chargers and what redundancy there is, plus the long stretches north of Geraldton, are not as accommodating to first-timers as they think. An EV road trip the Western Australia way from Perth and up is doable; it is just not forgiving.
At Face Figurati I am Olha Po and my time is typically spent on precision and the like, to head off costly errors. That is the approach you need here for any good result. Map out a route through Carnarvon or Exmouth, or put some thought into charging from Perth to Kununurra, and you will find it viable if you have done your prep. But do not be casual about it. A headwind, a unit that is down, or simply missing a stop is all it takes to put you in range anxiety territory on an WA road trip.
The 2026 Reality
To put it in plain English, the WA EV Network has opened up regional access. Yet when you are north of Geraldton you have to consider charging part of your logistics, not something of convenience. This is particularly true on a holiday loop where you might be contending with queues and peak tourism demand, enough to turn a well laid out plan into a long day.
Then again, the regional rollout has made things far more realistic than was the case a few years ago. The rub is that in remote parts of WA “easy” and “available on the map” are two different things.
What The Network Offers
Major corridors have better coverage thanks to the WA EV Network and infrastructure put in by RAC, Synergy and Horizon Power. Most will find the Geraldton chargers the last place where it is fairly simple before the rest of the route demands you watch your timing.
But go beyond Geraldton and the spacing of stations is the problem.
For a tight daily schedule on a west coast tour of Australia you cannot count on the reliability of remote charging. A one-off stop with few plugs may suffice if there are no hiccups.
Where To Put Your Battery
Most want to know this above all: how the key stops are situated and what it means in practice for your battery. The paper route is fine until you are on the road and distance and weather have their say.
Below is a table for planning purposes, not to be mistaken for a brochure. Take the approximate figures and verify them with the latest Western Australia map and your own routing.
Key Stops On The Coastal Run
| Route Leg | Approx Distance | The Charging Reality | Note |
| Perth – Geraldton | 420 km | The early corridor is well supported | Least of your worries |
| Geraldton – Northampton | 50-60 km | A short leg but hardly a challenge | More of a buffer |
| Geraldton – Carnarvon | 470 km | You are dependent on intermediate access | Have a plan or don’t bother |
| Carnarvon – Exmouth | 360 km | Viable if planned | Load and wind eat into your margin quickly |
| Exmouth – Pilbara | Varies | Remote hub logic | Speed is less important than redundancy |
| Pilbara – Kimberley/Kununurra | Long multi-stop | Timing has to be disciplined | Leave to those with regional experience |
On a single plug site fragility is as much an issue as distance.
Uptime is king. Should a fault show up or idle fees force your hand, the day is altered. And the vehicle you drive makes all the difference. A smaller pack will not give you the breathing room of one with a big battery and steady DC fast charge.
Some make the mistake of going by official range and then are left wanting when roof racks, air-con and coastal winds are factored in. Brochure range is irrelevant. For anything north of Geraldton you are better served by an EV with proven highway efficiency and thermal management to match the WA fast DC chargers. On a long run you will find a car with a quick charge from low to mid state of charge has the edge over something with a larger battery and a sluggish charging curve.
Who is going to have more trouble?
An EV with a smaller battery can cope with some of the coast but for an all encompassing loop it is not so well suited, at least not without the certainty of overnight AC charging. And if your only option in the next town is one charger, then detours, a heavy payload and the inefficiencies of winter or summer are things you have to contend with.
Proper Trip Planning
To make the trip seem less of an ordeal, do not put all your faith in the kilometre count; plan for the risk of the charger. Make of each major stop a decision: get on the charger early, be sure of your access and have a reserve in hand that would be overkill in the city. For detailed route planning, consult the WA electric vehicle charger map to avoid range anxiety.
There is no room for gambling when you are running a west coast tour in the manner of an organised operator in Australia. You have to be more rigorous than the private driver given the demands of group timing, luggage and the comfort of your passengers.
A Checklist Before You Go
- Have a look at the Western Australia map for EV charging stations and what users have been saying about them of late.
- Make sure you know the site speed, plug type and hours of access and if it is DC fast or AC.
- Put in a backup for any leg north of Geraldton.
- School holidays and the height of the tourist season will see queues at the chargers, so allow for it.
- Do not show up with a single digit on the battery, come with a good reserve.
- Take into account highway speeds, wind, heat, towing and camping equipment.
What It Is Like On The Road
You will not always be able to “plug in and be on your way in 20” at a regional stop. Add in the time to wait, put a useful buffer on the battery, put the car away and have a bite to eat and 40 to 90 minutes is a fairer figure. When you are out in the remote parts you need that sort of realism, not sales patter.
The Possibility Of Things Going Wrong
Folks tend to overlook this and regret it later. In regional WA the question is not if there is a charger but whether it is there, working and of sufficient speed at the point of need. One reads the same in reports from the sector and commentary from The Driven or the Electric Vehicle Council: queueing, dropouts in communications, faults and the vulnerability of a site with no alternative close by.
Where Reliability Falters
In the remoter reaches of WA you can encounter local power constraints, payment problems, damaged connectors, software or comms outages. Some sites rely on solar battery storage or stand-alone systems which while they open up access, do demand load management.
Expectation As Opposed To Reality
| Expectation | Reality |
| “There is a charger on the route, I am fine.” | Not if it is offline or someone is using it. Have a back up. |
| “Fast charging is a quick affair.” | Speed tapers and queues put in the time. |
| “My range is good enough for the leg.” | Wind and load can erode that margin considerably. |
| “It’s easy now with the regional rollout.” | Mid West WA infrastructure has got better but is not infallible. |
For Trips That Are On The Edge
Your EV may be a bit marginal for the journey but the holiday does not have to be called off. A change of vehicle or a slower pace might be in order. The best call is not always the most showy. I will say in the studio as much: just because it is possible does not make it right for you today.
Mitigating The Risk
- Book with overnight AC charging if you can.
- Shorten your days and top up.
- A hybrid or plug-in is sensible for uncertain country.
- Tour operators should put in extra dwell time.
- And unless you know the power limits and site access inside out, leave portable charging as a last resort.
My View
Can you do a full circuit of the west coast in an EV? You can, provided you are a prepared driver with the right car and some flexibility and respect for the miles. What has improved in the way of charging north of Geraldton in 2026 makes it feasible but hardly simple. If you are inclined to check live conditions and travel with a buffer, it will work. For those who prefer to be spontaneous and under no timetable, a hybrid or a shorter coastal jaunt is the more comfortable proposition. I would tell any client as much and stick to it.
FAQ
Western Australia: How Many EV Chargers?
As and when new sites come on line the total will change. One would do well to consult the most up to date WA EV Network data and map sources for a journey as opposed to putting stock in a static figure.
Why is it that EV Chargers are so prone to failure?
There are a number of culprits: from software and communications faults to payment hiccups, worn out connectors or simply a case of overuse in the region. In more out of the way places a fault has greater consequence due to a lack of redundancy.
Is an electric car charging station bad for the environment?
Not of itself. While there is a resource cost in their construction and operation, they are enablers of lower emission travel for the most part, particularly with solar systems or cleaner power on tap.
The reason you will not find EV rate electricity at an apartment building’s chargers
is down to billing and infrastructure, nothing more. The meters are shared or on an embedded network which precludes separate EV tariffs.
Any EV will not get you from Geraldton to Exmouth.
For that sort of run one wants a model with the DC charging speed and highway range to make it work; with a smaller battery the planning has to be of a different order.
Further reading: west coast tours australia.
