Scott Carden | NRMA: Building Australia’s EV Charging Backbone

By James Shand on

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From IT Tinkerer to NRMA’s Head of Engineering

Scott Carden didn’t take the conventional route into engineering. As a teenager, he was pulling apart computers on his lounge floor and running an IT business at just 13. Over the next decade, he tried his hand at everything from managing a McDonald’s to bricklaying, taxi driving, and insurance claims.

It wasn’t until 25, with a young family and a restless sense of unfinished business, that he decided to pursue engineering. Enrolling in a mature-age program at the University of Southern Queensland, Scott completed a mechatronics degree at 30 — combining expertise in electrical, mechanical, and control systems.

That late start proved a strength. His career since has spanned gold mines, hospitals, military bases, and high-rise embedded networks — giving him a unique systems-level perspective. Today, as Head of Engineering at the NRMA, he brings that mindset to one of Australia’s biggest infrastructure challenges: making EV charging reliable, equitable, and fit for the future.

Key Takeaways from the Conversation

  • Off-grid charging is possible — but complex. The Aldunda station in central Australia went through multiple iterations (“alpha,” “beta,” and now “release candidate”) to solve the integration challenges of solar, batteries, diesel backup, and EV chargers working in sync.
  • Graduates bring fresh thinking. Scott believes young engineers, unburdened by bias, often spot simple first-principles solutions that senior engineers miss.
  • The NRMA’s mutual model fills gaps. Unlike private charge point operators (CPOs) chasing ROI, the NRMA can invest in less-commercial remote sites to ensure national coverage.
  • Balancing the network matters. NRMA avoids “double-building” in towns with overlapping federal and state programs, while still targeting a charger every ~150 km along highways.
  • Reliability hinges on integration. EV chargers can spike from 0–100% load in a tenth of a second — far faster than diesel generators or even batteries can react. Tight control systems are essential.
  • Costs can outweigh usage. In ultra-remote locations, the energy needed just to keep batteries cooled and systems online can exceed the energy sold to customers.

The Aldunda Experiment: Alpha to Release Candidate

When NRMA unveiled the off-grid EV charging station at Aldunda, NT, it was a world first and an ambitious attempt to run EV fast chargers with no grid connection at all.

The early system was what Scott calls the “alpha product”: two Tritium RTM75 chargers, a modest 120 kWh battery, diesel backup, and solar generation. On paper, it looked like a complete solution. In practice, integration gaps between subsystems caused frequent faults.

“An EV charger can demand full load in a tenth of a second. A battery might keep up, but a diesel generator can take 10 seconds or longer. Without tight integration, the system trips.”

Lessons from Aldunda informed the “beta” site at Nullarbor, with better controls and less reliance on diesel. The current Aldunda system — Scott’s “release candidate” — represents the most stable iteration yet, with finely tuned integration between solar, battery, generator, and charger.

But even with those improvements, Scott stresses the economics are tough. In a location that might see only a handful of charging sessions a week, ongoing power demand for cooling and monitoring can exceed energy delivered. Aldunda is less a profit engine than a proof of what’s possible.

Why the NRMA Builds Where Others Won’t

For most commercial CPOs, installing a charger in the middle of the NT makes little sense. The utilisation is too low, the infrastructure costs too high, and the payback period indefinite. But the NRMA operates differently.

As a mutual organisation, it doesn’t answer to shareholders — it reinvests in its members. That means it can take on the “hard yards” projects that make cross-country EV travel viable.

From the east coast to Perth, NRMA’s goal is a network that allows Australians to choose their own route — whether via the southern highways or the long way through the NT. To do that, they’re targeting a charger every 150 km along key corridors, balancing metro and regional locations for a sustainable mix.

Mentoring the Next Generation of Engineers

Beyond building infrastructure, Scott is passionate about shaping young engineers. He often drops graduates straight into real projects, encouraging them to ask questions and challenge assumptions.

“Engineers love to overcomplicate problems. Sometimes a graduate will ask the simplest question in a meeting — and it’s the thing everyone else overlooked.”

That culture of first principles, curiosity, and integration is key to NRMA’s ability to deliver projects in settings as varied as Sydney CBD carparks and outback roadhouses.

Why It Matters

Scott’s story highlights both the ambition and the challenge of Australia’s EV transition. The NRMA isn’t just rolling out chargers in profitable metro markets — it’s building the backbone of a truly national network, proving that even in the harshest conditions, EV infrastructure can be delivered.

For EV drivers, it means the confidence to plan long trips across Australia without worrying about where the next charge will come from. For policymakers, it’s a lesson in the importance of integration, equity, and public-interest investment.

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James Shand
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