The Electric Vehicle Council has welcomed the allocation of new federal government funding that will see hundreds of new kerbside chargers installed in Australia.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced $2.4 million for EVX Australia to install 250 kerbside chargers providing 500 charge points, across metropolitan and regional areas in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.
Electric Vehicle Council chief executive Julie Delvecchio said: “It’s exciting to see the federal government allocate additional funding to expand essential EV infrastructure.”
Investing in and expanding Australia’s electric vehicle charging network is crucial in accelerating the shift to EVs for three reasons:
Reducing range anxiety, making EV travel more convenient and reliable
Supporting the growing number of EV drivers, which has reached 300,000
Making it easier for even more drivers to choose EVs, helping them cut costs while creating cleaner, quieter streets.
“While most EV drivers primarily charge at home, public chargers remain essential, especially for those long road trips, to provide confidence to travel further and stay longer at destinations. We also know that it’s tougher for many Australians to own an EV because, for example, they might live in an apartment where it’s difficult to use a charger at home.
“Australia continues to make progress on expanding the EV public charging network. In the past year alone, the number of charging locations and points has doubled to more than 1,800 public fast chargers across more than 1,000 locations nationwide.
“Electric vehicles are already clocking up tens of thousands of kilometres across Australia. When more EV drivers can comfortably charge up through an easily available and widespread charging network, range anxiety becomes a concern of the past.”
