Electric Vehicle Council welcomes NRMA’s $10m fast charging network

The NRMA’s $10 million roll-out of an electric vehicle fast-charging network across NSW will be an important step in Australia’s transition to EVs, the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) says.

The network of at least 40 chargers will give drivers more confidence in using EVs for extended trips, EVC chief executive Behyad Jafari says.

“Our research shows that most Australians would consider buying an electric vehicle, but they are concerned by a lack of support from the federal government and the availability of charging infrastructure.

“The roll-out of chargers, however, will send a highly-visible message that electric vehicles are quickly becoming a mainstream product for all motorists.”

Jafari says consumers are literally driving the change towards EVs, and pressure is now on the federal government to catch up.

“The transition to EVs is undoubtedly in the national interest,” he says.

“Electric vehicles reduce our precarious reliance on imported fuels, reduce transport-related greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce household fuel bills with the cheaper cost of recharging with electricity.”

Jafari says the federal government can show some leadership by exempting EVs from fringe benefits tax, and setting a target for the proportion of EVs sold in Australia.

The NRMA says Australia’s largest EV fast-charging network is suitable for a range of EVs and free for NRMA members.

More than 95% of NRMA member road trips will be covered by the network. It will more than double the size of the current network of chargers in NSW and the ACT.

“The network will unlock Australia for electric vehicles, enabling stress-free journeys whether motorists are doing the daily city commute, or visiting beaches on the South Coast, weekend getaways to our world-class wine regions or snow trips to the mountains.”

NRMA chairman Kyle Loades says the strong financial performance in 2016-17 created the opportunity to invest in an initiative to benefit the community and NRMA members.

“There has been under-investment in the electric vehicle market in Australia, so the NRMA is stepping in to develop a network to support the adoption and rollout of EVs here.”

The announcement follows the NRMA’s release of a new report, The Future is Electric, which highlights the move towards EVs globally.

“Our research has highlighted that a lack of charging infrastructure is the single greatest barrier identified by NRMA members to purchasing an electric vehicle,” Loades says.

A fast charging station operates at the NRMA’s new headquarters at Sydney Olympic Park, and initial charger sites will include Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the ACT, the Illawarra area, Mid North Coast and Newcastle.

The NRMA seeks potential partners such as councils and community groups to express their interest in bringing a charger to their local area.

Visit this LINK for more details.