New South Wales motorists will benefit from what the state government says is the largest rollout of public kerbside EV chargers in the country.
That’s in the first round of EV kerbside charging grant announced by the NSW government which is investing $4.1 million – matched by $8m private investment – to install 671 EV charging ports at 391 sites across the state.
It expects all the EV chargers to be installed during the next year and to open to the public 24 hours.
The funding is for chargers ranging from seven kilowatts to 75kW and will include pole mounted, pedestal and ‘kiosk’ EV chargers installed on kerbsides or in public council car parks, says the NSW government.
“Electric vehicles are not only driving down the cost of transport for NSW households, but they are also helping NSW to meet our net zero emissions targets,” it says.
“Expanding the state’s EV charging infrastructure network gives drivers the confidence to hit the road in an electric vehicle, knowing they have many options to top up the battery,” the state government says, adding that the new kerbside EV chargers will provide more convenient charging options for drivers without offsite parking, such as those in apartments and busy metro areas.
The kerbside chargers will be installed across 16 local government areas by eight grant recipients – Waverley Council (31 sites, 51 ports, $286,740), City of Newcastle (10 sites, 30 ports, $270,572), Evie Networks (26 sites, 80 ports, $800,000), EVSE (28 sites, 68 ports, $680,000), EVX (77 sites, 154 ports, $760,452), Jolt Charge (65 sites, 99 ports, $180,000), Plus ES (149 sites,149 ports, $794,979), and ChargePost (five sites, 40 ports, $362,032).
The NSW government says the funding is part of its $209m investment into charging infrastructure which also funds $149m for EV fast chargers to reduce the time it takes to top up batteries, $20m for EV destination charging grants to install ports at regional NSW tourist destinations, and $10m in EV-ready buildings to retrofit EV infrastructure in apartment buildings.
The state government says it is committing $260m to underpin the rollout of an updated NSW EV Strategy which will be released later this year.
“This investment will significantly increase the availability of public charging options and give people confidence their next vehicle purchase can be an EV,” says climate change and energy minister Penny Sharpe.
“Almost 30% of NSW drivers do not have access to private, off-street parking to charge an EV. That figure is considerably higher in metro areas.
“We will continue to roll out EV charging grants to further support the NSW goal of being the easiest place in Australia to own and drive an electric vehicle.”
A combined total of $1.2m will fund 202 charge ports across 138 sites in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, says Coogee member Dr Marjorie O’Neill.
“We have now well surpassed our key election promise to deliver $700,000 to support EV charging infrastructure in Waverley, Randwick and Woollahra councils.”
Electric Vehicle Council chief executive Behyad Jafari says: “We know convenient and visible charging infrastructure in densely populated areas is critical to giving people the confidence to switch to EVs.
“These chargers mean everyone can benefit from EVs, including renters and people who can’t charge at home.
“This investment is important not just for the direct amenity it provides, but also because it serves as a powerful signal to consumers that the NSW government supports your move to a zero-tailpipe emission vehicle when you’re ready to make the switch.”
