Sites in Adamstown, Birmingham Gardens, Muswellbrook, Nelson Bay, Bucketty and Singleton have won NSW government grants for electric vehicle charging bays.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The government has allocated $39 million in the first round of grants for fast and ultra-fast chargers, said the Treasurer and Minister for Energy Matt Kean.
The six Hunter sites are among 86 across the state to gain chargers over the next two years to "power up Australia's EV [electric vehicle] network".
"Each of these stations will contain a minimum of two ultra-fast EV charging bays of 350kW capacity, and two fast charging bays of 175kW, with some stations containing up to 15 bays," Mr Kean said.
"The ultra-fast chargers will be able to charge modern EVs from 20 per cent to 80 per cent in around 15 minutes and all stations will be fully powered with renewable energy."
It was the first of an expected three funding rounds, with more stations set to be built in the years ahead.
The second round of funding is expected to open towards the end of this year.
The successful applicants from the first round of grants include Ampol, BP, Evie Networks, Tesla, NRMA and Zeus Renewables.
The minister's office provided a list of Hunter sites that won grants, but not the names of the organisations.
Under the program, the government aims to add about 250 charging stations across the state. It wants chargers to be "no more than 5km apart in metropolitan areas and no more than 100km apart on major roads and highways across NSW".
The grants came through the government's "Drive electric NSW EV fast charging" program. Applicants must fund a minimum of 50 per cent of the project's capital cost and can apply for up to $15 million in funding across multiple locations.
The government also has a program for electric vehicle "destination charging" grants aimed at motels, wineries, cafes, restaurants, attractions, visitor information centres, museums and zoos.
An Electric Vehicle Council report, released this month, said EVs now represent 3.4 per cent of all vehicle sales in Australia, a 65 per cent increase on last year. Germany sits at 26 per cent, the UK at 19 per cent and California at 13 per cent. The global average is 8.6 per cent.
The NSW grants came a week before submissions close to the federal government's National Electric Vehicle Strategy consultation paper. The Electric Vehicle Council has urged the federal government to introduce fuel efficiency standards on par with the EU and the US.
IN THE NEWS:
WHAT DO YOU THINK? We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on the Newcastle Herald website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. Sign up for a subscription here.
