This year has seen months where Tesla’s Model Y overtook the Toyota Hilux to become the most purchased car in Australia – how exciting!

Australians are really embracing the EV life, with almost one in five new passenger cars sold in the May 2024 being EV or Hybrid.

With this clear upward trend in EV ownership, it won’t be long before every household owns one. Their gaining popularity is why there are projects underway everywhere to support the movement, like the WA state government building one of the world’s longest EV highways stretching from Eucla to Kunnunurra.

All Stockland communities are designed to be as liveable as possible for the residents that choose to make them home.  This means neighbourhoods that will stand the test of time and remain desirable for many years after the last vacant block is sold. That’s why at Wildflower, we’ve even made EV readiness in every home a feature of our design essentials.

So what exactly does our mandatory “Electric Vehicle Charging Provision” entail? At its bare minimum, it’s actually just a couple of small electrical upgrades to your garage:
1)    Add a conduit
2)    Add a dedicated (extra) powerpoint

If you already have an EV, or expect to get one in the time you’re living in this home? Then you might like to delve a little deeper or get creative based on your individual circumstances by asking yourself these questions:

1. How do you use your car?

Do you stay close to home, with minimal trips in the car? Or is the EV for your more lengthy daily commute. When will you charge your car? Does it need to be charged quickly to keep up with your frequent longer-distance trips, or can you afford to let it sit for a full day or more to completely charge? Perhaps your workplace has an EV charging bay that allows you to charge your car while you work, away from home? All of these scenarios will guide you in determining how serious you need to be about your charging options at home. Is it a simple plug-on socket charger with a common 10 Amp wall socket that tops you up 10-14km per hour of charge. Or do you need a top end charging option that gives you ten times that? Make sure your planning matches your anticipated use and requirements so you can make the most of the technology.

2. Will I have 3 phase power?

Most homes are built in WA with single-phase power as the standard, but in some circumstances like larger homes or where there’s a greater requirement for power use at any one time (like multiple people working from home on a hot day with the AC pumping), there’s a case for an upgrade to 3 phase power so you can have more electrical items running at once and depending on your inclusions, many builders will require you to. You can read more about the detail in an article we shared recently: 3 reasons to consider 3 phase power.

There is mixed debate on whether you neeed three phase power to support normal household use in a home, even if it is an all-electric home. For example, this opinion piece by Tristan Edis in the Australia Financial Review weighs it all up and says you “should” be fine in most instances, particularly in an established home where it’s more costly to retrospectively upgrade to three phase power than it is to build in from scratch. But if we’re talking living comfortably without compromise in the home you’ve just built brand new at Wildflower, or future proofing for a world which is only going to increasingly rely on electricity, 3 phase power is perhaps something to include in your build to reduce the chances of regret down the line.

When discussing your options with a builder, be sure to mention your plans to also add EV charging to your anticipated power usage. They’ll help you make the right call for your home as it stands when you move in, as well as how you’ll live in it in the years to come. Or, how your future purchaser might like to live in it when you come to sell

3. Do I plan to install solar panels?

If this is on your radar (check out our article on this for more) then you’re in a good position to offset some or all of your charging costs. What a win! Be mindful though, that whether you have single of three-phase power will impact the total capacity of your solar panels and therefore impact how you charge your car when using solar power. Discuss this with your builder, even if you plan to install solar panels well after you move in.

4. Will I spend long periods at home during the sunshine hours?

Perhaps you work from home some days, or maybe spend extended periods at home between the morning and afternoon school runs? Well lucky you, you’re in the position to take power straight from the sun to your car for charging. If you’re out on the road a bit more in daylight hours, it’s going to be difficult for you to make the most of solar power without a battery. You could definitely use the public electricity grid to top up your power, but if you’re super keen on going green, then why not investigate installing a battery. You’re bound to save more on your power bills, but at present the initial outlay to install a battery is pretty hefty so may take a while to deliver some return on your investment.

The best question of them all though, will it be a Tesla or BYD? We think you might even suit an MG!

Contact us today to make sure you're kept up to date with our monthly releases, so you can start planning your EV-ready home sooner rather than later.