is it free to charge electric cars

Short answer: rarely—free chargers exist, but they’re the exception, not the business model. Most public fast charging in Australia lands around $0.50–$0.85 per kWh, with networks and locations nudging the needle.

Plenty of shopping centres and councils offer free or low-cost AC chargers (7–22 kW), but they’re slow and may require parking fees or an app tap. At home, you’re typically looking at about $0.25–$0.40 per kWh on standard tariffs, with off‑peak or solar dropping it nicely. In plain terms, a 60 kWh top‑up might be roughly $15–$35 at home versus $30–$50 on a rapid charger. Free juice is lovely when you find it, but think teaser special—not an all-you-can-charge buffet.