From Bourke to Cooma: Network of fast/ultra-rapid chargers and destination chargers for NSW

June 20, 2021June 20, 2021 Toby Hagon 4378 Views

The NSW government will spend $171 million on expanding the electric car charging network across the state.

It is shaping up to be the most expansive EV charging network in the country, not only blanketing the metropolitan area but also covering areas as remote as Bourke, Broken Hill, Tamworth, Nyngan and Coonabarabran.

The unprecedented government splurge on making it easier to live with an EV will include $131 million on ultra-fast chargers, $20 million in grants for destination chargers in regional areas and $20 million for new charging infrastructure at public transport hubs and other state-owned land.

A big part of the EV infrastructure spend is ensuring electric cars can travel anywhere in the state with easy access to ultra-rapid chargers. Those ultra-rapid chargers are typically capable of providing up to 350kW of electricity, which is enough to provide a 5-80 percent charge for the Porsche Taycan in as little as 22.5 minutes.

The vast network of ultra-rapid chargers will touch every corner of the state, even touching on the outback towns of Bourke and Broken Hill.

The NSW Government is planning to create EV superhighways across the state with ultra-rapid chargers for locations including Tamworth, Broken Hill, Cooma, Bourke and Conabarabran

Significantly, the NSW Government has committed to ensuring “all households in areas with limited off-street parking will live no more than 5km from an ultra-fast charger”.

That will potentially allow EV drivers to add hundreds of kilometres of driving range in 30 minutes or less and provide the incentive to own an EV even if they don’t have home charging facilities.

Currently there is only one ultra-rapid 350kW charger in Sydney, located in Zetland where appartment living is the norm.

The NSW Government will also create “EV commuter corridors” as part of its $490 million splash to encourage the uptake of electric cars.

The corridors will provide ultra-fast chargers every 5km across main motorways – including the M1, M2, M4, M5 and M7 – as well as other major roads including the Cumberland Highway, Pacific Highway, Pittwater Road, Princes Highway, Hume Highway and Homebush Bay Drive.

The planned EV commuter corridor charging network for Sydney as announced by the NSW Government will provide ultra-rapid charging every 5km

The unprecedented EV infrastructure spend will also see the fitment of hundreds of slower AC destination chargers in train and bus commuter carparks, allowing EV owners to charge their cars while at work or out and about.

The NSW Government is planning to provide EV charging outlets across a vast range of commuter carparks across Sydney

The government will also provide $20 million in grants for regional destination chargers at hotels, restaurants, wineries and other heavily-trafficked tourism hotspots.

The NSW EV charging spend was wrapped up in a broader announcement to offer tax breaks and subsidies for purchases of new EVs and to see the NSW government.