‘Urgent’: Australia’s wild move on EVs

Australia has made a controversial call on electric vehicles, that could hit the lifestyles of plenty of drivers out there pretty hard.

The federal government has paused plans to make new homes EV‑ready, potentially further jeopardising Australia’s electrification goals.

The federal government has delayed new rules that would have made it easier to install EV chargers and improve energy efficiency in new homes.

The change is part of a plan to boost housing supply by speeding up construction and reducing regulatory barriers that would otherwise cause delays.

On 22 October 2025, federal, state and territory building ministers met and confirmed a pause, delaying implementation of National Construction Code changes until at least mid-2029.

As a result, new houses and townhouses will not need to include the wiring or other features required for homes to be considered “EV-ready” for several years.

The EVC has criticised the decision, warning that homeowners could be left with additional costs.

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The Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) has criticised the decision, warning it will increase long-term costs for homeowners and hinder Australia’s electrification and climate goals.

“Hitting the brakes on requirements that make it easier and more affordable for new homeowners to have smarter EV chargers at home undermines Australia’s efforts to electrify households to reach climate targets,” Electric Vehicle Council CEO Julie Delvecchio said.

“This is a missed opportunity to embed practical, low-cost electrification measures into our building standards at a time when urgent action is needed to achieve the nation’s 2035 emissions reduction goals.”

The delay could slow EV uptake and raise retrofit costs.

The EVC also argues that delaying these provisions could slow EV uptake, raise retrofit costs and make emissions targets harder to meet.

“Simple measures, like a dedicated circuit for EV charging at home, would add only $200 to the cost of a new home while making it easier for Australians to charge their cars at home and avoid the rising cost of petrol, yet these measures have been left out of the updated Code,” Delvecchio said.

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Around 85 per cent of EV owners are expected to charge their EVs at home. Picture: Supplied

“Every home built without these provisions will be more expensive to retrofit later, creating unnecessary barriers for Australian families wanting to make the switch to electric vehicles.”

While the decision does not ban EV chargers or restrict their installation in homes, it does directly affect Australians considering purchasing an electric vehicle.

According to EVC, around 85 per cent of EV owners are expected to charge their vehicles at home.

“Ensuring newly built residences are EV-ready makes going electric more cost-effective for Australian families,” Delvecchio said.

“We call on the state governments that are committed to helping their residents cut the cost of transport to implement these low-cost, commonsense changes in their states.”