Source: NRMA
Leading motoring and roadside assistance group NRMA is to partner with the New South Wales state government to deliver another 20 EV fast charging stations across major regional corridors in what it says will be “the most comprehensive regional charging network in the country.”
NRMA and Transport for NSW announced on Thursday that they would deliver 20 additional EV fast charging stations to NRMA’s Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Network,which currently sits at 38 fast charging stations installed along the main routes in NSW.
The Network currently has charging stations across most major highways, including the Hume, Newell, Sturt and Oxley Highways as well as the Mitchell, Pacific, Olympic and Great Western Highways.
“The NRMA has been building Australia’s most comprehensive fast charging network now for over two years because we want to give our Members choice and make sure Australia has the capacity to meet demand as electric vehicles become more prominent on our roads,” said NRMA Group CEO Rohan Lund.
He said that the issue of ‘range anxiety’ was critical to giving Australians greater choice when it comes to purchasing EVs.
“This partnership will also open up regional NSW to electric vehicle owners and boost regional tourism by giving certainty to drivers that they can journey across the state without fear of running out of charge.”
“These additional charging stations are part of a $3 million co-funded investment to deliver greener and cleaner travel,” said NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Minister Paul Toole. “This will help create the most comprehensive regional charging network in the country, opening regional NSW up to electric vehicle owners.”
“The extended network will help further support the regional tourism economy and promote local investment in regional centres along the Newell, Barrier, New England, and Kamilaroi highways. We want people to stop off and explore our regional towns and cities while they charge their EVs.”
New locations for EV fast charging stations were “carefully chosen to complement and not duplicate current and proposed charger locations” and the first two sites chosen will be at Wagga Wagga and Yass, meaning that an EV owner can travel from Sydney to Victoria along the Hume Highway.
However, once completed, the network will link up with major routes in Queensland, Victoria, and South Australia, meaning that EV motorists will be able to travel through these states with little to no range anxiety.
“In most cases, EV drivers will be no more than 150 kilometres from an EV charging station once the network is completed by 2022,” said Toole. “This will allow people to travel to Broken Hill, Moree and Bourke, and to link up with major routes in Queensland, Victoria and South Australia.”
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.
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