Electric car stops to link big cities

To be announced today by Energy Minister Angus Taylor, 18 stations will be located no more than 200km apart on the main highway that links Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Adelaide.

Chargefox, the company behind the $15m project, said three stations would also be located in Western Australia, north and south of Perth.

All 21 stations will be powered through the purchase of renewable energy and are expected to be operational by early 2020.

Stations in Euroa, 165km northeast of Melbourne, and Barnawartha North, on the NSW-Victorian border, are ­already under construction, thanks in part to $1m in funding from Victoria’s Labor government. The Euroa site will include a solar and battery installation.

Australian Renewable Energy Agency chief executive Darren Miller said the pilot ­project would encourage the uptake of EVs by reducing “range anxiety”.

“This network will help alleviate that concern by giving ­motorists comfort they can ­travel long distances,” he said.

“EV charging networks are being rolled out in other countries, and Australia needs to catch up to ensure that we can experience the same benefits of improved driving experience, lower operating costs and better environmental outcomes that electric vehicles offer.”

Mr Miller said electric vehicles were set to have a significant impact on Australia’s energy ­system.

Fewer than 1 per cent of all new car sales are EVs, but forecasts from the Australian Energy Market Operator suggest that within 20 years, they could represent about half of the country’s car fleet.

A federal government report released in June found EVs would reach price parity with petrol cars by the mid-2020s.

The same report identified a lack of fast-charging infrastructure as a key barrier to the uptake of EVs.

Chargefox’s ultra-rapid char­ging technology allows an electric vehicle to add up to 400km of range in just 15 minutes — 15 times faster than typical domestic charging points.

“The charging stations will enable all modern EV drivers to confidently drive between ­Australia’s major cities,” said Chargefox chief executive Marty Andrews.