Nine fast-charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) will be built in the ACT as part of a $24.55 million commitment announced today by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
The Electric Vehicle Council has welcomed ARENA’s multi-million-dollar investment to expand Australiaโs fast-charging network for EVs.
The funding will be distributed to five charging infrastructure companies โ Evie Networks, Ampol, Engie, Chargefox, and Electric Highways Tasmania.
In addition to the ACTโs nine new stations, the companies will build 127 fast-charging stations in NSW, 106 in Victoria, 86 in Queensland, 33 in WA, 29 in SA, 10 in Tasmania, and three in the Northern Territory.
Electric Vehicle Council chief executive Behyad Jafari said the charging infrastructure announcement was important on a number of levels.
โObviously these new fast-charging stations will provide a practical benefit to EV drivers, but beyond that they will also have a powerful effect on consumer sentiment,โ Mr Jafari said.
โWe know Australians are very interested in buying electric cars, but there is hesitancy about whether or not the government will back them with infrastructure and supportive regulation.
โThe highly visible construction of hundreds of new fast-charging stations across the country should send a powerful message to consumers about the viability and practicality of making the switch to a zero-emission vehicle,โ he said.
โMass electric vehicle uptake is strongly in Australia’s national interest, given it will clean the air of toxic pollutants, reduce our carbon emissions, and relieve our dependence on foreign oil imports.
โIf the federal government wants to seize the benefits of accelerating EV uptake, it should support these fast-charging initiatives through consumer incentives and introducing long overdue fuel emission standards, akin to those enforced in the US and the EU.โ
