The NSW state government has announced what it says is the largest rollout of public kerbside electric vehicle chargers in the country, with funding support for 671 charging ports at 391 sites across the state.
The government says it will invest $4.1 million in the program, with private investment to provide another $8 million, and are designed to help EV drivers who do not have access to offsite parking, including those in apartments and busy metro areas.
The announcement is the second in two days – following news of home battery rebates – to be made by the state government following its controversial decision to offer up to $450 million to extend the operation of the country’s biggest coal generator at Eraring.
“This investment will significantly increase the availability of public charging options and give people confidence their next vehicle purchase can be an EV,” says state climate and energy minister Penny Sharpe, whose ministerial car is a Kia EV6 (pictured above).
“Almost 30 per cent of NSW drivers do not have access to private, off-street parking to charge an EV. That figure is considerably higher in metro areas,” she said.
“We will continue to roll out EV charging grants to further support the NSW goal of being the easiest place in Australia to own and drive an electric vehicle.”
The funding is for chargers ranging from 7 kilowatts to 75 kilowatts and will include pole mounted, pedestal and ‘kiosk’ EV chargers. They will be installed on kerbsides or in public council car parks. (A full list is below).
Among those companies winning government support is Jolt, which says it will install 65 fast and free kerbside public charging sites across seven local government areas in Sydney. Jolt, because it includes advertising space on its EV chargers, offers free charging of up to 50 kilometres of driving range per day.
“Kerbside charging is critical to the transition to electric vehicles in Sydney, and providing fast, free charging to those who do not have access to off street charging is Jolt’s goal for this program,” the company’s CEO Doug McNamee said.
“Jolt provides charging infrastructure at zero cost to councils, while providing 7 kWh, or up to 50 km driving range, free, to EV owners in the community each day.” He says the EV chargers are powered by 100 per cent renewables.
A full list of the recipient and the local council areas that will benefit from this latest funding round is listed below.
The state government is investing $209 million into EV charging infrastructure, including a network of fast-chargers across the state. The investment also funds:
- $149 million for EV fast chargers which reduce the time it takes to top up batteries;
- $20 million for EV destination charging grants to install ports at regional tourist destinations in NSW; and
- $10 million in EV ready buildings to retrofit EV infrastructure in apartment buildings.
“This investment is important not just for the direct amenity it provides, but also because it serves as a powerful signal to consumers that the NSW Government supports your move to a zero-tailpipe emission vehicle when you’re ready to make the switch,” Electric Vehicle Council CEO Behyad Jafari said in a statement.
The state government says it will update its EV strategy later this year.
Round One recipients of the EV kerbside charging grants:
| Recipient | Number of sites | Number of charge ports | NSW Government funding |
| Evie Networks | 26 | 80 | $800,000 |
| ChargePost | 5 | 40 | $362,032 |
| EVSE | 28 | 68 | $680,000 |
| City of Newcastle | 10 | 30 | $270,572 |
| Waverley Council | 31 | 51 | $286,740 |
| EVX | 77 | 154 | $760,452 |
| PLUS ES | 149 | 149 | $794,979 |
| JOLT Charge | 65 | 99 | $180,000 |
| Total | 391 | 671 | $4,134,775 |
671 chargers will be installed across 16 Local Government Areas:
Blacktown City Council
Burwood Council
Council Of The City Of Sydney
Georges River Council
Inner West Council
Ku-ring-gai Council
Lane Cove Municipal Council
Liverpool City Council
Mosman Municipal Council
City of Newcastle
North Sydney Council
Northern Beaches Council
Randwick City Council
Waverley Council
Willoughby City Council
Woollahra Municipal Council
Giles Parkinson is founder and editor of The Driven, and also edits and founded the Renew Economy and One Step Off The Grid web sites. He has been a journalist for nearly 40 years, is a former business and deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review, and owns a Tesla Model 3.