Around Australia trips in a pure EV

DriverStart/End pointCompletionVehicleNew Usable Capacity
1. Glen GeorgePerthNov 2011MG converted Blue32 kWh
2 Richard McNeallSydneySept 2016Tesla S Blue82 kWh
3. Jeff JohnsonSydneyNov 2016Nissan Leaf Blue * 21 kWh
4. Sylvia WilsonGladstoneJuly 2018Tesla S Blue69 kWh
5. Steve & Keita BurrellPerthAug 2018Tesla S Titanium76 kWh
6. Harald MurphyPerthNov 2018
19 days
Tesla X Titanium82 kWh
7. Wiebe WakkerDarwin/SydneyMarch 2019VW converted Blue22 kWh
8. Richard SmithDarwinApril 2019Tesla X White96 kWh
9. Linda RohrsGold CoastJuly 2019 (inc Tasmania)Tesla S Blue96 kWh
10. Rob & Robin DeanPerthNov 2019 (inc Tasmania)Tesla S Blue76 kWh
11. Peter HayesMelbourneDec 2019Tesla 3 Silver72 kWh
12. John PaulMelbourneMarch 2020Tesla 3 Red72 kWh
13. Jules BoagSydneyMay 2021Tesla S White72 kWh
14. Michelle & Terry ArzanikowBallaratJune 2021Tesla 3 White?
15. David McLeodWarnamboolAug 2021Tesla S Blue96 kWh
16. Phil SmithCairns Aug 2021Tesla 3 Blue 72 kWh
17. David CoatesMelbourneSept 2021Tesla 3 Blue72 kWh
18. Bill Gresham & John PhillipsCanberraJuly 2022Hyundai Ioniq Red38 kWh
19. Jeff & Julie WicksGoldcoastJuly 2022Tesla 3 White?
20. Tiff OvertonCentral Coast NSWAug 2022Mercedes EQC400 Silver Grey80 kWh
21. Harald MurphyPerthSept 2022
14 days
Tesla Y White
#AUSYtour
57 kWh
22. Pete PetrovskyPerthSept 2022
17 days
Tesla Y White
#AUSYtour
57 kWh
23. Neil BoltonCanberraOct 2022
17 days
Tesla Y White57 kWh
24. Stuart McBainSydneyNov 2022Tesla 3 White
Charge Around Australia
72 kWh
25. James TaylorPerthDec 2022Tesla 3 White
26,604km
72 kWh
26. David & Lindsay LloydPerthSept 2023Tesla S White96 kWh
27. Harald & Rochelle MurphyPerthSept 2023 (inc Tasmania)Tesla Y White74 kWh
28. Jeff GiddinsJan Juc (Vic)Sept 2023
(towing)
Tesla Y Grey57 kWh
29. Roger & Jenny TruloffGoldcoastNov 2023Tesla 3 White72 kWh
30. Richard Laxton & Myuu KumagaiMelbourneNov 2023Tesla 3 Blue72kWh
31. Harald MurphyPerthNov 2023
10 days
Tesla Y White74kWh
32. Shane Parker & Sarah WhitePerthFeb 2024
(1st caravan/accomm being towed)
Tesla 3 White52kWh
33. Harald MurphyPerthFeb 2024 – Figure 8Tesla Y White74kWh

* Supported by being supplementarily charged with liquid fueled generators which were either carried onboard or by a support vehicle.

Jurien Bay DC charger critical instructions

Due to a redevelopment of the Jurien Bay foreshore the “plan B” 3 phase outlet has been removed making the 50kw DC charger at Caltex even more important for those looking for a short stop on the trip between Perth and Geraldton. There is a Tesla destination charger at the tourist park but this is limited to 3.6kw so is only useful for an overnight stop.

If Perth to Geraldton is only 410kms via the coastal road do I need to stop? In most cases, absolutely yes, due to the nature of the road surface and almost constant winds it’s near impossible to achieve reasonable energy efficiency, driving at slower speeds on this busy road and being a road hazard is not an option so it’s best to accept the inevitable and plan a 25 to 40 minute stop at Jurien Caltex while adding 20-40% back to the battery. 

The most critical aspects to using the Jurien Bay DC charger is to carefully read the operating instructions on Plugshare before arrival, patience is front and centre at this location, if you try and rush the process or miss a step you’ll just waste time. The Tritium DC charger is very reliable, the only time it’s failed to work is due to an issue with a handful of pre 2020 model X or S cars with a CCS2 upgrade or the operator rushing the start up process. If your Tesla is less than 24 months old, you should not have any issues with this charger.

A few tips:

Phone ahead your arrival time, Wade or Jarryd will make an effort to be on site as they know the process better than other staff members.

Make sure when the charger is unlocked both charging handles are firmly pushed into the holsters before and while the charger completes its 5 minute start up process.

Don’t arrive at this charger with less than 50kms of range, even though it’s so far been extremely reliable there is no longer a plan B in town, keep enough spare range to drive the 24kms to the Cervantes destination charger.

Don’t complain about the price, the $50 flat fee may appear high (it used to be 70 cents per kWh and a $25 minimum) but the Electric vehicle owner that spent tens of thousands of dollars installing the Jurien Bay unit will never see a return on investment.