EV road trip: Sydney to Broken Hill

We picked up our fully electric BMW iX3 from SIXT car rental at Sydney Airport. It’s a very comfortable car with some cool features like BMW’s Head-Up Display and power-adjustable heated seats. 

As we left Sydney, we made our way through the Blue Mountains, with breathtaking views of valleys and rugged terrain before descending towards the western plains of NSW.

We took a more scenic route out of the city to Lithgow via the M5 and M7 and then along the Bells line of Road, which offers stunning views and plenty of spots to stop along the way, such as TNT Produce: a perfect apple-picking stopover in autumn.

30 min | 20 min charger time | 28 km

On arrival, we headed straight for the NRMA Lithgow charging station. It's right in the middle of town in the carpark opposite the Lithgow Workies Club.

Once plugged in, we admired the view of the mountains and went to find coffee. We recommend Lithgow Tin Shed for their coffee and sausage rolls.

If you started with 100 per cent charge, you will only need about 20 minutes to charge the car for the next two stops to Portland and Orange.

If you have time, make sure to stop at Portland. Here, you will find the Silos of The Foundations.

These massive silos were painted in 2018 by artist Guido Van Helten and depict five male and one female Portland Cement workers.

Using the site of the mural as a natural inspiration, the artist interviewed retired employees from Portland to piece together a compelling portrait of this former industrial community known as ‘the town that built Sydney’.

3 hr 20 min | 20 mins of charger time | 296 km

The next stage of our journey took us through the historic town of Orange, where we sampled some local produce and immersed ourselves in the rich cultural heritage of the region.

The NRMA EV Charger location is a little hidden, so be sure to follow the maps and go right into the car park at Lords Place.

Once you have checked in on PlugShare and your vehicle is charging, you can discover the beautiful town of Orange, through Robertson Park to the main strip, Summer Street. From here, you can explore the modern side of Orange with plenty of shops and cafes.

Once we finished charging, we set off for Nyngan, where we got caught in a huge lightning storm: to see the plains lit up was frighteningly beautiful!

This was the furthest stretch of driving we had to do on the first day but we felt relaxed as we reached 100 per cent charge at Orange and the EV had a range of about 430km.

45 min to an hour of charger time

Depending how long each stop was it is likely you will arrive at Nyngan at night. The NRMA charging station has two charging units in the IGA’s car park in the middle of town, so it is easy to find and use.

For a comfortable overnight stay, we suggest staying at Country Manor Motor Inn, right around the corner from the charging location. It is a perfect place to rest up and to get ready to explore the town of Nyngan the next morning in daylight.

With the car charged to 100 per cent the night before and a coffee-in-hand from Gundog Espresso or the Bogan Coffee Shop, you can relax and watch the sunrise come over the Big Bogan (it looks a lot bigger when you stand next to it than in photos!).

Today’s driving will take you almost 600km across the famous Great Barrier Highway, with two stops needed to get to Broken Hill.

The first leg is the shortest and an easy drive along a straight stretch of road. 

On the way to Broken Hill, you will pass through some of the lesser-known towns and regions of NSW, where you can connect with the local communities and learn about their history and ways of life.

Along our journey, we made use of the NRMA charger network, which offers reliable and convenient charging facilities for EVs, proving that it is possible to drive an electric vehicle this far.

2 hr 45 min | 30 min of charger time | 261 km

Make sure you stop by the iconic Cobar Town Monument (The Truck Stop) for a quick visit and photo opp, before heading into town for

The charger is right in the middle of town behind the main drag of shops. We arrived with 54 per cent and waited to charge right up to 90-95 per cent. A nice feature of the BMW iX3 is that charging doesn’t slow down at 80 per cent but keeps going at a fast rate until 90 per cent.

While you wait for the car to charge, check out the Gumnut Café for coffee and a bite to eat. It is also a gift shop so you can browse around for homewares and souvenirs.

The next leg was the furthest we had travelled and was our first experience of range anxiety. We had to watch how we drove the car, being mindful of our speed (cruise control helped), checking if we could save power by reducing the air con and turning off auto assist driving.

2 hr | 1 hour of charger time | 198 km

Wilcannia is a quiet town and perfect for a recharge point. We arrived with 41 per cent so charged for about an hour to top up to 90 per cent to make sure we could get safely to Broken Hill. 

We had drinks and snacks at the Wilcannia Golf Club and sat outside in the shade opposite the charger. On a lovely day, sitting outside in the fresh air for this stop is very peaceful. 

This last stint of the drive went by quickly. We were pleasantly surprised by how much greenery we saw along the trip. Luscious trees and bushes passed us the entire way.