The NSW state government is seeking hosts for electric vehicle chargers in regional areas as part of a $131 million investment to make travelling across the state in an electric vehicle easier.
The NSW Electric Vehicle team has issued a call out to businesses, commercial property owners and other site operators including local councils to submit expressions of interest to host electric vehicle chargers.
The NSW state government has a target for 50% electric vehicle sales by 2030, and along with the expansion of charging infrastructure has also introduced $3,000 rebates for the first 20,000 new EV buyers as well as waived stamp duty.
It wants to install an EV charger every 100km along all major NSW highways, and every 5km in metropolitan corridors.
According to an email seen by The Driven, hosting an EV charging site would be at no cost to the host. Additionally, it argues that hosting an EV site would benefit hosts with “high level visibility, a competitive edge and an innovative and emerging new market diversification.”
In particular, it is looking for hosts that fall within “optimal zones” in its Master Plan map. The map, which can be seen in full here, has been developed by Evenergi and charts not only optimal zones for chargers, but also traffic volumes of key roads as well as substation and cable locations.
While the call for EOIs is not clear on if all the fully-funded chargers will be fast chargers, it says that, “New public fast charging stations with multiple charging bays will be co-funded by the NSW government, focusing on fast and ultra-fast charging.”
Along with a donation by MG Australia of 1,000 destination chargers to regional and rural motels and hotels that will roll out starting 2021, and existing charging networks managed by NRMA, Chargefox and Evie Networks, the NSW network will undoubtedly help allay any remaining fears by NSW travellers that doing so in an EV would “ruin the weekend”.
The EOI has been open since November 10, 2021 and is open until February 25, 2022. More information and a link to the submission form can be found here.
Applicants that do not make the grade for hosting fully-funded sites will also be able to apply for destination charging grants that will be announced in early 2022.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.