Opinion & hypothetical analysis

Can an electric vehicle save money travelling through the outback? With diesel at $3.29 a litre in Coober Pedy, the answer can be yes—even when towing and paying commercial charging prices.

But cheaper energy does not necessarily mean a more practical vehicle, or cheaper ownership overall.

For caravan travellers, charging time, limited overnight electricity supplies, insurance and the need to reach a destination before dark all deserve consideration.

A fair comparison must acknowledge both sides: expensive diesel strengthens the EV’s financial case, while remote touring exposes limitations that suburban running-cost comparisons can overlook.

Start with the actual fuel price

Using the locally reported Coober Pedy diesel price of $3.29 per litre, consider a hypothetical diesel tow vehicle consuming 14 litres per 100 kilometres.

That costs $46.06 per 100 kilometres, or $460.60 over 1,000 kilometres.

For the electric comparison, ADAC’s test of a Kia EV6 towing a 1,600 kg caravan recorded purchased electricity consumption of 40.7 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometres, including charging losses. Its onboard consumption increased by 83% compared with its usual consumption without the caravan. This was a European test, rather than an outback trial, but provides a measured towing example.

RAA’s published outback rapid-charging prices are 71 cents/kWh off-peak and 78 cents during evening peak, before membership discounts.

Hypothetical towing comparison
• Diesel: 14 L/100 km at $3.29/L: $46.06 per 100 km, $460.60 over 1,000 km
• EV: 40.7 kWh/100 km at 71c: $28.90 per 100 km, $288.97 over 1,000 km
• EV: 40.7 kWh/100 km at 78c: $31.75 per 100 km, $317.46 over 1,000 km

At these prices, the EV saves approximately $143 to $172 over 1,000 kilometres on energy.

That is a substantial saving and should be acknowledged. It would be misleading to claim the electric vehicle costs more to fuel under these assumptions.

This is a scenario comparison, not a matched road test. Both vehicles must be capable of legally towing the same loaded caravan. Actual consumption varies, and applying Coober Pedy’s diesel price across the entire journey may overstate fuel costs where travellers can fill up more cheaply elsewhere.

What happens if an EV road-user charge arrives?

Now add a hypothetical EV road-user charge of 4.3 cents per kilometre. This is a modelling assumption, not an announced national rate.

It adds $43 over 1,000 kilometres. Existing fuel excise is already included in the diesel price.

Same 1,000 km journey: energy plus hypothetical EV road charge
• Diesel at $3.29/L: $460.60
• EV charging at 71c/kWh: $331.97
• EV charging at 78c/kWh: $360.46

The EV remains approximately 22% to 28% cheaper on energy and the modelled road charge.

Even a more demanding scenario, consuming 45 kWh/100 km at 78 cents plus the road charge, totals $394 over 1,000 kilometres. That is still $66.60 less than the diesel example.

Higher consumption narrows the advantage. It does not eliminate it in this calculation.

An overnight power point does not solve everything

The more difficult issue for remote touring is replenishing that energy.

At Riba’s Underground Camping & Caravan Park, the available outlets are 15 amps, according to the operator. An ordinary accommodation outlet should not be confused with a dedicated wall charger or public rapid charger.

A standard 10-amp outlet can supply approximately 2.4 kW, while a suitable 15-amp outlet and charging lead can supply approximately 3.6 kW.

For an 80 kWh usable battery, assuming 90% of electricity drawn reaches the battery, approximate empty-to-full charging times are:

Calculated empty-to-full charging time
• Standard 10-amp outlet: 37 hours
• Suitable 15-amp outlet: 25 hours

These calculations assume uninterrupted charging at the stated power. Shared capacity, lower-rated equipment or additional cooling demands can extend the time.

Travellers do not always arrive empty or need a full battery. Nevertheless, a nearly depleted large battery cannot be replenished during an ordinary overnight stay from these outlets.

Assuming towing consumes 40 kWh/100 km from the battery, ten hours plugged in would add:

Approximate additional towing range from ten hours plugged in
• 10 amps for ten hours: 54 km
• 15 amps for ten hours: 81 km

That helps, but it does not replace the energy used during several hundred kilometres of towing. A traveller arriving with little charge may still need a substantial rapid-charging stop.

Permission also matters. Travellers cannot assume accommodation providers allow vehicle charging, or that a powered site includes unlimited electricity for a car. Where the caravan and vehicle share a 15-amp supply, the full allowance cannot simultaneously serve both.

At Coober Pedy’s published standard business electricity tariff of 46.1 cents/kWh, ten hours drawing 3.6 kW costs the operator approximately $16.60 in electricity alone. Charging therefore has a real cost for accommodation businesses.

Charging time comes out of the travel day

Consider a hypothetical vehicle with an 80 kWh usable battery, consuming 40 kWh/100 km from the battery while towing.

Its theoretical full-to-empty range is 200 kilometres. Using the battery between 80% and a 10% reserve provides approximately 140 kilometres between stops.

For a 500-kilometre travel day, it needs 200 kWh. Starting full and finishing with 10% remaining means adding approximately 128 kWh during the journey.

Charging time needed during that 500 km day, by average charging power reaching the battery
• 50 kW: About 2 hours 34 minutes
• 100 kW: About 1 hour 17 minutes
• 150 kW: About 51 minutes

These are calculated charging times, not forecasts for a particular vehicle. They exclude queues, detours, connecting and any unhitching necessary to access the charger.

The charger’s advertised maximum is not necessarily the average a vehicle receives. Charging also commonly slows above 80%, which matters when the next leg requires a near-full battery.

Some charging overlaps with meals and rest breaks. Any additional waiting, however, extends the travel day.

A suitable diesel vehicle can replenish its fuel in minutes.

A 500-kilometre journey must also be distinguished from a 500-kilometre gap between chargers. The hypothetical electric towing vehicle above could not cross that gap on one battery. Its route requires suitable intermediate charging.

Daylight is part of the calculation

Outback travellers often aim to arrive before dark, limiting exposure to kangaroos and wandering livestock.

An extra hour or two spent charging can require an earlier departure, a shorter daily journey or another overnight stop.

The appropriate response is to adjust the itinerary. However, that can carry a cost in accommodation and holiday time—costs absent from a simple electricity-versus-diesel comparison.

A vehicle may complete the journey while still being poorly suited to the distance its owner wants to cover each day.

Heat, insurance and batteries still matter

Extreme heat can add cooling demand, while prolonged exposure can accelerate battery ageing. Geotab’s research found faster average degradation in hot climates and with heavy use of high-power charging. That does not establish a fixed battery lifespan for Coober Pedy, but it is relevant to long-term ownership.

As capacity falls, the distance available between charging stops shrinks. A battery can remain functional while becoming less useful for remote towing.

Insurance also deserves more attention than claims about cheaper servicing sometimes give it. CHOICE’s January 2026 analysis found average comprehensive premiums of $2,440 for new EVs, compared with $1,865 for new petrol vehicles—a difference of $575 annually. These are broad market averages, not matched quotes for diesel and electric tow vehicles.

An individual buyer needs actual quotes. Higher insurance can absorb part of the energy savings, while depreciation, finance and servicing determine the rest of the ownership picture.

An expensive battery failure outside warranty is another financial risk. A hypothetical $20,000 replacement could overwhelm years of savings. It should not be treated as inevitable, but neither should repairability and replacement prices be ignored.

The fair conclusion

At $3.29 a litre for diesel, our calculations do not support claiming that an EV necessarily costs more to run through the outback. Its energy bill can remain substantially lower, even with towing and a hypothetical road-user charge.

The stronger criticism concerns practical suitability and total ownership cost.

Slow accommodation charging, restricted access to electricity, shorter towing range and time spent at rapid chargers can complicate a journey planned around long distances and daylight. Insurance, depreciation and repair risks require separate scrutiny.

For some travellers, the fuel saving will justify those compromises. For others, the ability to refuel quickly, cover longer stages and arrive before dark will make a suitable diesel vehicle the more practical choice.

Cheap kilometres and convenient kilometres are not necessarily the same thing. Outback travellers need to calculate both.