11 August 2022

ACT powers ahead on journey towards 100 EV chargers by next year

| Lottie Twyford
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Electric Vehicle (EV) charging only carpark

There will be more than 100 electric vehicle chargers to plug into across the Territory by the end of next year. Photo: Michelle Kroll.

Canberrans could be able to plug in their electric vehicles at more than 100 public charging stations across the Territory as early as next year.

Currently, there are around 30 chargers available for use.

The ACT Government will make what it’s calling a “substantial” increase to the network with an almost $1.5 million investment to fund an extra 77 charging stations.

Once the program is completed, 154 individual charging points will be available across the Territory.

Initially, the government had gone out to tender for 50 extra charging points.

The successful providers of the rollout will be Jolt, Evie Networks and Engie.

Map of ACT

The proposed locations of charging points across the ACT. Image: ACT Government.

Construction will begin on the charging stations this year, with the majority anticipated to come online in 2023.

Motorists will have to pay to use the charging stations.

The need to boost the availability of charging infrastructure across the Territory was highlighted in the government’s recently released Zero Emissions Vehicle strategy.

That strategy committed the government to expanding the ACT’s charging network to at least 180 public charging stations by 2025.

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Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Shane Rattenbury said being able to access fast, reliable charging stations would help combat range anxiety.

“[It] will provide electric vehicle drivers, and those looking to switch to an electric vehicle, peace of mind that they are able to charge their car when they need to,” Mr Rattenbury said.

“Most electric vehicle owners choose to charge their cars at home, but there is still a need to expand our network of public charging infrastructure.”

Mr Rattenbury said that despite the currently stronger demand for electric vehicle charging stations in the central regions of Canberra, the government intended to roll out chargers in every district.

Shane Rattenbury and Andrew Barr in an electric car

Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Mr Rattenbury released the Territory’s Zero Emissions Vehicle strategy last month. Photo: Lottie Twyford.

Last month, Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Mr Rattenbury announced a swathe of measures intended to speed up the uptake of electric vehicles in the ACT.

These included commitments to banning new fossil fuel vehicles from being registered in the ACT from 2035 onwards and prohibiting new fossil fuel cars from being introduced to the taxi or rideshare system by 2030.

Alongside extending the stamp duty exemption to second-hand zero-emissions vehicles from August this year, car owners will receive two years of free registration for battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.

Its unlikely stamp duty will ever return for electric vehicles, Mr Barr told reporters last month.

READ ALSO Full charge ahead! ACT overhauls rego system to drive EV take-up

Eventually, the ACT Government would overhaul the Territory’s car registration system to be underpinned by the principle that the lower your transport emissions, the less you will pay.

The government has stressed it will be able to ensure equity as changes are made to the system, and that vulnerable, low-income households would not be left behind.

The strategy also foreshadowed that established apartment buildings would be able to access $2000 to retrofit charging infrastructure if it was not installed during construction.

By 2030, it’s forecast the ACT will need more than 500 publicly accessible electric vehicle chargers.

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EV’s currently are mostly either top of the line cars or cheap sports cars with very little power reserves.
As we shift into buses and trucks and SUVs we’ll see a sharp increase of EV fires.

A large number of cheap EV’s all closely parked have the potential to blow up like a set of dominos, unable to put out an EV fire due the thermal runaway means just letting the fire burn out.
Several large metros that initially invested in EV’s are pulling their fleets due to safety. EV buses when failing will just explode, plenty of videos out there to check out.
Its also not just the fires most of the gases that come out of battery fires are Carbon Monoxide.

Trevor Willis4:12 pm 11 Aug 22

Is there a limit to how long each car can stay at a charging station? How long does each charge take and at what cost.? considering it would take some time for each car to be recharged to capacity, where do the cars waiting for a recharge park? I would not like to be at the back of the line, not having any idea how long I would have to wait.

Amanda Kiley8:37 pm 12 Aug 22

most chargers will fine if you idle at a charging station. 🙂

Capital Retro7:30 am 13 Aug 22

I didn’t know EV motors idled.

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