The New South Wales government’s investment in EV charging stations on nine road trips will make it easier for Australians to explore the state in an EV while supporting sustainable tourism, says the Electric Vehicle Council.
The EV-friendly routes take drivers through some of NSW’s top tourist destinations, including the Central Coast to the Hunter Valley, the Southern Highlands to the South Coast, and Sydney to the Blue Mountains., the EVC says.
EVC chief executive Julie Delvecchio says EV charging stations are strategically placed every 100km or less.
“This is exactly the kind of forward-thinking approach we need to accelerate EV adoption across Australia,” she says.
“Range anxiety has been a barrier to EV uptake, and by making it easier for drivers to see where they can travel and charge this initiative directly addresses that concern.
“While many new EVs can travel 400km on a single charge, initiatives like these tackle concerns about range anxiety head on.”
Delvecchio says EV-friendly routes bring economic opportunities to regional economies.
“Unlike traditional highways that can divert traffic, this initiative brings people into regional communities – encouraging stops at cafes, shops, and attractions, making regional travel even more appealing,” she says.
“This is a win-win for drivers, businesses, and sustainability.”
The NSW government’s nine EV-friendly road trips launch as Western Australia completes Australia’s longest connected EV-charging highway.
The WA EV Network – spanning Mundrabilla near the South Australian border all the way to Kununurra near the Northern Territory border – has 110 charging points across 49 locations.
Visit NSW EV Road Trips for more information
Meanwhile, a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) roadmap is a turning point for Australia’s energy future, says the EVC, adding it’s a crucial step toward lowering power bills and stablising the grid.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has released a National Roadmap for Bidirectional EV Charging, which outlines modelling, opportunities and recommendations.
Delvecchio says the roadmap for bidirectional charging has the potential to unlock significant economic and energy system benefits and coordinated action is needed to realise its full potential.
“Australia is a world leader in rooftop solar. This gives us a running start to be a world leader in bidirectional EV charging as well, if we choose to be.
“Our abundant solar energy creates opportunities for EVs to store excess daytime generation and discharge it to the grid when needed,” she says.
“Bidirectional EV charging is one of the keys to unlocking lower energy prices for everyone, not just the EV drivers, and to provide electricity reliability.”
The EVC says it has worked with ARENA in the roadmap’s development, adding iy encourages the government to consider the report recommendations calling for time-limited rebates for installations, support for manufacturers homologating products to the Australian market, and work on communication and awareness of the benefits of bidirectional EV charging.
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