Australia's electric vehicle problem exposed during Easter long weekend: 'Disaster'

Published: 07:14, 6 April 2026 | Updated: 07:23, 6 April 2026 Frustrated electric vehicle owners have been left stranded for up to five hours over the Easter long weekend as wait times soared for charging stations. EV owners took to social media to blast Australia's charging station infrastructure after a video went viral on Good Friday that showed a long line of electric vehicles queuing up for a single charger at a charging station in Holbrook, NSW. The video, posted by Sydney resident, Jamie Raeburn, has now been viewed over 1.3 million times. 'Gotta love having an EV in Australia. Easy five hour charge wait,' Mr Raeburn captioned the video. Nearly 2,500 people commented on the video, with some calling for more generators to be set up to accommodate the growing need for electric vehicle charging stations. 'It's really a disaster and the worst is yet to come with all of this,' one said. 'Yep EV's are the way forward,' a second said sarcastically. 'Poor infrastructure. A smarter council or entrepreneur would make a killing selling power to these poor folk - who are doing the right thing,' a third said. Sydney resident, Jamie Raeburn, said there was a five hour wait to charge up an electric vehicle at a charging station in Holbrook, NSW on Good Friday Nearly 2,500 people commented on the video, with some calling for more generators to be setup to accommodate growing demands Others brutally mocked the chaos, saying EVs are failing to live up to claims they're cheaper and more efficient.  'Filled up and gone in under five for me, 780km to a tank. Never gonna get EV to do that,' one user said. Another said: 'There's no time to waste. It's such a beautiful day! Oh we have to wait for the car to charge kids. Maybe three hours minimum so go and play in the park.' A person also joked: 'Just saved $20 on fuel and had to spend $60 on lunch for the missus and kids. Well done.' Another post showed a Tesla owner's experience at a Supercharger site in Cann River, Victoria where 10 cars were reportedly waiting for hours to use three chargers. It comes as demand for EVs has soared following the conflict in the Middle East which has hiked up Australia's fuel prices. Chinese manufacturer, BYD, which specialises in electric vehicles, has reportedly seen a 50 per cent increase in inquiries following recent fuel price hikes linked to the US-Israel led war on Iran. Demand for EVs has soared following the conflict in the Middle East which has hiked up Australia's fuel prices  Energy Minister Chris Bowen said Australia has locked in another month's worth of fuel 'We're seeing people who were ordinarily in the market for a new petrol vehicle now changing their preference for an EV or low-fuel-using super hybrid,' a BYD spokesperson said. 'We're also seeing customers who were considering an EV or super hybrid down the track bringing forward their purchasing decision.' The company said it now has more than 10,000 orders across its range. Car rental marketplace, Turo, has also reported EV bookings in Australia have jumped by 70 per cent in a move they predict could become the norm once drivers have experienced an EV's lower running costs. It comes as Australia has locked in another month's worth of fuel, as consumers and motorists brace for higher prices at the bowser and supermarket checkouts. Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the nation originally had supply until mid-April, but that had now been secured into May. 'All the orders are locked in, contracted,' he told ABC's Radio National on Monday. 'Once it's contracted, the fuel belongs to the Australian company that's bought it, so that is legally locked in. That's encouraging.' Bowen said 3.7 billion litres of different types of fuel were on their way to Australia this month - an update that will come as a relief to retailers following a busy Easter period. On Monday morning, he confirmed 142 service stations in NSW remain without diesel, 39 with no fuel. Nationwide, 3.4 per cent of service stations remain without diesel - in Victoria, 51 are without diesel, 30 are without fuel, in Queensland, 38 are without diesel, 32 are without fuel and in South Australia, nine are without diesel and five are without fuel. In Western Australia, 19 are without diesel and 29 are without fuel, in Tasmania, seven are without diesel and seven are without fuel, and in the ACT, four are without diesel and two are without fuel. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. 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