Corrimal sits in the narrow strip between the escarpment and the sea, which is a genuinely distinctive place to run an electric car. Almost every trip out of the northern suburbs involves either the climb up Bulli Pass or Mount Ousley, or the descent back down them.
What that does to a battery is mostly good, and worth explaining properly.
Climbing draws sustained high current from the pack. It generates heat, and the thermal management system works to shed it. This is normal operation — a modern EV pack is built for exactly this — but it is a heavier duty cycle than flat suburban driving, and it means escarpment cars run their cooling systems more than most.
Descending does the opposite. Regenerative braking converts the car's potential energy back into charge, and on a long descent that adds up to a meaningful amount. The one thing to know is that if the pack is already near full at the top, there is nowhere for that energy to go, regen is reduced, and the car falls back on friction brakes. Northern suburbs drivers who set off from a full charge at the top of the pass notice exactly this.
None of it damages the pack. It does mean a Corrimal car's energy consumption figures look unusual compared with a flat-suburb car, and it means judging battery health by range or efficiency readouts is even less reliable here than elsewhere.
The climate is a real advantage
Corrimal, Bellambi, Woonona and Bulli sit directly on the coast with the escarpment behind them, and the temperature moderation is excellent. Summer peaks are among the lowest in the Sydney–Illawarra region and the nights cool down reliably. Since heat is what permanently removes capacity from a lithium pack, northern Illawarra cars tend to measure at the healthy end for their age.
Where we come to
Corrimal, Bellambi, Woonona, Bulli, Russell Vale, Tarrawanna, Towradgi, Fernhill and East Corrimal. Home addresses, seller addresses, beachside car parks.
Booking
Online booking is open for all northern Illawarra postcodes. $249, no travel surcharge. Phone 02 7252 1390 if you prefer.
EV battery testing across the Illawarra · Thirroul · Wollongong · Book a test — $249