The new NRMA charger in Mittagong.
The federal government says more fast chargers for electric vehicles between Adelaide and Melbourne, in an effort to deal with range anxiety among the growing cohort of EV owners.
Five new charger sites link the northern route between South Australia and Victoria, with new sites added to Victorian highways at Wycheproof, Ouyen, Mildura, Ararat and Marong.
The federal government is spending $39.3 million on building fast chargers every 150km between major centres.
The most recent builds in the southern part of the National EV Fast-Charging Network are being delivered by the NRMA, a partnership that will install 177 chargers in total.
Some 1000 fast chargers have now been turned on, according to the federal government, and NRMA says it has another five across Australia that should open before Christmas.
“We’re committed to setting up reliable access to EV charging infrastructure along key travel corridors and regions,” said energy minister Chris Bowen during an event in Melbourne today.
“The rollout of new NRMA chargers supports our commitment to improve consumer choice for cleaner, cheaper-to-run cars.”
Late in 2023, federal and state governments committed to a crack down on reliability issues with the country’s EV fast charging network in response to growing complaints about the failure of some charging stations.
New standards applied from January 2024 mean state-funded chargers must work 98 per cent of the time and require multiple ports, a common payment system, and include both CCS and the now rarely used ChadeMo plugs.
But it hasn’t been simple for organisations like NRMA and others wanting to install fast chargers in their network.
US-based charging equipment supplier Freewire hit the wall in the middle of the year, just after Australia-based Tritium collapsed. NRMA was forced to remove the Freewire’s battery-backed EV-fast chargers just months after they were installed and the RACV is also replacing all its first-generation Tritium chargers.
Rachel Williamson is a science and business journalist, who focuses on climate change-related health and environmental issues.
Roland heads to France for a first drive in the new, much anticipated Renault 5,…
Hyundai releases teaser images of Ioniq 9, its new large electric SUV headed to Australia…
BYD's first ute is set to take on the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger, and…
BHP to trial a fully electric Toyota Hilux dual cab prototype ute at its Port…
Windrose, a newly emerging maker of electric heavy trucks, has just completed a road trip…
Tesla's robotaxi, the Cybercab spotted in daylight at an event in Texas, showcasing details of…