Send us Fan Mail Australia’s EV transition is moving well beyond passenger cars and simple questions about driving range. In Episode 81 of Plugged In Australia, we take a deep dive into Coles putting electric prime movers to work pulling B-double freight in New South Wales, and examine the much harder question of whether battery-electric trucks can match diesel for payload, uptime, charging flexibility and whole-of-life productivity. We also unpack the NSW parliamentary inquiry into EV charging infrastructure and its 18 recommendations covering apartment charging, charger reliability, regional infrastructure, kerbside charging, electricity networks and the enormous challenge of preparing for electric heavy vehicles. Then we head to Victoria, where a new 34-page apartment-charging guide provides one of the most practical roadmaps yet for owners corporations trying to introduce EV charging. We look at EV backbones, dynamic load management, Level 1 versus Level 2 charging, billing, insurance, fire risk, legal approvals and who should actually pay. China’s new battery-durability standard also gets the Deep Dive treatment. We explain the difference between State of Charge and State of Certified Energy, why owners being able to see battery-health information matters, the new durability benchmarks extending to 10 years or 200,000 kilometres, and why Australia may eventually need a similar system for its growing used-EV market. Finally, Honda’s tiny Super-One is coming to Australia from $36,900 drive-away. We compare it in detail with the considerably cheaper BYD Atto 1 to work out exactly what buyers are getting for the extra money — and whether Honda can sell personality, lightweight engineering and driving character where the numbers alone struggle to make the case. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Intro 0:56 Coles puts electric B-doubles to work 14:19 NSW report calls for better EV charging 33:15 Victorian Apartment charging 1:09:25 China Standardises EV Battery Health Reporting 1:33:09 Honda Super 1 VS BYD Atto 1 1:52:49 OutroDisclaimer: All specifications, pricing, and information discussed in this episode were correct at the time of recording. The electric vehicle market moves quickly, so we recommend you always check the latest details directly with manufacturers, dealers, or official sources. This podcast provides general news and information only, based on publicly available sources and Australian Consumer Law guidelines. It is not legal, financial, or professional advice. For advice specific to your situation, please contact the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) or seek independent professional guidance. Plugged in Australia and its hosts are not responsible for any decisions, misunderstandings, or purchases made based on the content of this show. Sourcing & Transparency At Plugged in Australia, all our stories are sourced from publicly available news articles and reports. We do not receive any advance information or briefings from brands or manufacturers. Any analysis or opinions we share are based solely on this public information. Our main sources include (though we also use many others, and they vary by episode): https://www.carsales.com.au/https://www.carexpert.com.au/https://thedriven.io/https://www.carsguide.com.auhttps://autotalk.com.auhttps://www.carsguide.com.auhttps://evcentral.com.auhttps://www.drive.com.au
