Key Points
- Canberra ranked Australia’s most EV-friendly city with the highest EV ownership rate and charging density.
- Perth and Sydney secured second and third place thanks to strong infrastructure growth and moderate charging costs.
- Darwin finished last overall but recorded the fastest EV adoption growth nationally.
- Adelaide had the cheapest average public charging cost at $0.42 per kWh.
- The study highlights charging accessibility as one of the biggest barriers to wider EV adoption in Australia.
Australia’s electric vehicle transition is no longer centred only around Tesla sales charts and new EV launches. A new nationwide study suggests the real battleground is now charging access, affordability and how quickly cities are adapting to the shift away from petrol cars.
And according to the latest rankings, Canberra is leading the country by a considerable margin.
The ACT has been named Australia’s most EV-friendly capital city in a new study by insurer ROLLiN’, which analysed charging infrastructure, charging costs, EV ownership levels and adoption growth across the nation’s major metropolitan areas.
Canberra topped the rankings with an overall score of 84.37 out of 100, helped by the highest concentration of charging infrastructure and the strongest EV ownership rate in the country.
More than three per cent of registered passenger and light vehicles in Canberra are now electric, while the city also recorded more than 80 public charging connectors per 100,000 residents.
The findings arrive as Australia’s broader EV market continues expanding rapidly. Earlier this year, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries reported that one in every six new vehicles sold nationally was electric, underlining how quickly EVs are moving into the mainstream.
Which Australian cities are leading the EV transition?
While Canberra comfortably secured first place, Western Australia and New South Wales also performed strongly.
Perth ranked second overall, helped by relatively affordable public charging costs and one of the strongest EV adoption growth rates nationally. Sydney followed closely behind in third place.
Interestingly, the study found that growth rates across many capitals are now accelerating at close to triple-digit annual increases compared with 2021 levels.
Perth recorded EV adoption growth of 107.4 per cent, while Sydney saw growth of 95.6 per cent over the same period.
Melbourne and Brisbane landed in the middle of the pack. Both cities have seen major investments in charging infrastructure in recent years, though growing EV ownership is beginning to place more pressure on public charging availability.
Adelaide quietly emerged as one of the stronger performers overall, benefiting from the nation’s cheapest average charging price at just $0.42 per kWh.
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Australia’s most EV-friendly cities ranked
| Rank | City | Charging Connectors Per 100,000 People | Average Charging Cost ($/kWh) | EV Adoption Growth Since 2021 |
| 1 | Canberra, ACT | 83.78 | $0.57 | +96.3% |
| 2 | Perth, WA | 63.81 | $0.50 | +107.4% |
| 3 | Sydney, NSW | 46.92 | $0.53 | +95.6% |
| 4 | Adelaide, SA | 43.19 | $0.42 | +108.9% |
| 5 | Brisbane, QLD | 38.26 | $0.60 | +107.2% |
| 6 | Melbourne, VIC | 32.08 | $0.51 | +96.4% |
| 7 | Hobart, TAS | 45.84 | $0.67 | +82.4% |
| 8 | Darwin, NT | 33.90 | $0.77 | +130.5% |
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Why Darwin’s result is more important than it looks
Darwin may have finished last overall with a score of 12.01, but the Northern Territory capital also delivered one of the study’s most surprising findings.
Despite having the highest average charging costs in Australia at $0.77 per kWh and relatively limited charging infrastructure, Darwin recorded the fastest EV adoption growth nationally at 130.5 per cent.
That suggests EV demand is still growing strongly even in regions where infrastructure remains limited.
The report noted that charging accessibility continues to be one of the biggest barriers for broader EV adoption, particularly outside major metropolitan areas and established highway charging corridors.
ROLLiN’ executive manager Brendan Griffiths said the transition to electric vehicles is now becoming increasingly tied to local infrastructure quality rather than just vehicle availability.
“EV-friendly areas are those that support everyday driving with accessible charging, manageable costs and growing local adoption,” Griffiths said.
The study also highlighted growing differences in public charging experiences across Australia, with electricity pricing and infrastructure rollout varying significantly between states and territories.
What this means for Australia’s EV future
The rankings highlight how uneven Australia’s EV transition still is.
Some cities are rapidly building charging ecosystems capable of supporting mass EV adoption, while others are still in the early stages of infrastructure rollout. That gap is likely to become more important as EV sales continue climbing and more affordable electric models enter the market.
The study also reinforces a broader shift taking place across Australia’s automotive market. EV ownership is no longer concentrated purely among early adopters and inner-city buyers. Increasingly, mainstream households are considering EVs as fuel prices, servicing costs and long-term running expenses continue to rise.
For governments and charging providers, the findings add pressure to accelerate infrastructure investment beyond capital city centres and into suburban areas, regional highways and smaller population hubs.
For consumers, the message is becoming clearer: where you live in Australia can still dramatically shape the EV ownership experience.
