The full agenda — with receipts

Opening remarks set the tone for how organisers frame the EV/energy transition narrative this year — worth noting which stakeholders (policy, fleet, media) are given top billing, as it signals where the conference's real weight sits.

Fleet electrification hinges on more than vehicles — leasing terms, charging infrastructure, telematics data and roadside support are the operational details that make or break a rollout. Charging professionals should listen for how these suppliers are integrating charging into the broader fleet-management stack, not treating it as a bolt-on.

Policy volatility directly affects charging infrastructure investment timelines, incentive structures and grid planning certainty. Key question: are Australian policymakers closing the gap between announced targets and bankable, investable frameworks for charging deployment?

Home electrification and EV charging compete for the same panel capacity and behind-the-meter investment dollars, so this session matters for anyone planning residential charging uptake alongside broader home electrification incentives and financing models like those from Commonwealth Bank.

Utes and light trucks are the hardest fleet segment to electrify in Australia given payload, range and charging infrastructure gaps — this session tests whether FBT incentives and TCO arguments are enough to overcome those barriers at scale.

Consumer-facing vehicle reviews shape buyer perception and indirectly influence charging behaviour expectations (range anxiety, charging speed claims) — useful signal for what charging professionals will hear from customers about this specific model.

Award case studies from utilities and councils (Ausgrid, Blacktown, Parramatta) offer rare on-record detail on real deployment friction — procurement, depot charging, grid constraints — that's usually hidden behind PR. Worth mining for what actually went wrong before it went right.

Grid connection queues are now a bigger bottleneck for charging infrastructure than hardware supply, and Ausgrid's approach to triaging renewables, data centres and EV load will directly shape how fast public and depot charging sites can actually energise.

OEM fleet offerings determine what charging infrastructure needs to support — battery sizes, charge curves, DC compatibility — so this is a chance to hear manufacturers commit (or not) to specifics rather than marketing generalities.

A fireside format with no listed agenda — the value here depends entirely on what specific policy or market commitments David McElrea is willing to put on record regarding the Smart Energy Council's charging and grid advocacy.

Another consumer review, this time of the Zeekr 7GT — relevant to charging professionals mainly for what claims are made about charging speed and infrastructure compatibility versus real-world performance.

Insurance, fire safety and remarketing data (via NRMA, EV Firesafe, Pickles) expose the underwriting and residual-value risks still dogging EV adoption — charging professionals should care because insurer confidence and battery fire risk perception directly affect where and how charging infrastructure gets sited and insured.

Home charging economics remain the single biggest lever for total cost of ownership, yet most EV owners default to whatever tariff and charger came bundled with the purchase. This session matters for anyone selling hardware or tariffs into the residential market — the real question is whether 'set and forget' smart charging plus dynamic pricing can actually deliver on the savings claims, or whether it still needs active management most owners won't do.

Polestar's push into the SUV and grand tourer segments tests whether a brand built on sedan halo cars can scale into higher-margin, higher-volume categories against established premium competitors. Useful signal for dealers and fleet buyers watching where mid-premium EV pricing and range settle in the Australian market.

Chemistry choice is no longer just an EV question — it now shapes grid-scale storage economics, safety, and supply chain exposure as alternatives to lithium-ion (iron-air, zinc, sodium-ion) move from lab to deployment. Anyone specifying storage for depots, community batteries, or V2G needs to know which chemistries are actually bankable now versus still years from commercial scale.

Distribution System Plans determine where and how fast charging infrastructure can actually connect without costly network augmentation — this is the document fleet operators and charge point developers should be reading before committing capital in NSW. The real stakes are hosting capacity, connection timelines, and whether Ausgrid's plan treats EV load as a grid asset or just a problem to manage.

Australia exports the raw materials for batteries but imports almost all its finished cells and packs — this session should address whether that gap is closing or whether the country will remain a price-taker in the minerals supply chain it physically dominates. Relevant to anyone concerned about battery cost volatility and Australia's leverage (or lack of it) in a market China largely controls.

The Staria BEV brings battery power to a people-mover/van format that's been thin on electric options in Australia, a segment relevant to fleets, rideshare, and family buyers who don't fit the standard sedan/SUV mould. Worth watching for real-world range and practicality claims versus the diesel Staria it competes against.

Marine electrification lags road transport by years but faces similar barriers — charging infrastructure, energy density, and duty-cycle demands — with added complexity from saltwater environments and port-side grid capacity. Relevant to anyone in charging infrastructure eyeing adjacent markets, given ferries and harbour craft represent a concentrated, high-utilization use case unlike passenger EVs.

Energy-storage-as-a-service and community batteries shift the economics of storage from individual capital outlay to shared infrastructure, directly affecting how EV charging gets paired with solar in areas where rooftop battery ownership doesn't stack up. The question worth asking is whether these models actually lower costs for participants or just shift value to the operator running the scheme.