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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Environment
Bianca Nogrady

A post-servo highway? How electric vehicles are changing the Australian roadscape

composite image of woman in car, charging station, map of australia
Electric vehicles are transforming the way drivers get around Australia, but the nation’s size and geography poses challenges to EV infrastructure. Photograph: ClassicStock/Alamy

A couple with a brand-new electric Lexus stand blankly at the EV charging station, walking from one charger to the other with cables in hand. Within minutes, a crowd of EV drivers gathers. The strangers offer to help the couple with charging their car, showing what plugs and apps to use. Soon enough, the appreciative pair are charged up and back on the road.

Motorists are not generally known for their community spirit and small acts of kindness. But around electric vehicle charging stations – whether on a regional highway, outside a cafe or in the centre of a busy city – a strange and wonderful communal vibe is developing.

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