Chargers add power to CBD

THE Queen Elizabeth Oval carpark is now home to two new City-operated electric vehicle chargers.

The 50-kilowatt devices have the capacity to power up four cars at once and feature fast charging technology that can finish the job in one to two hours for most battery EVs.

A charging fee of 40 cents per kilowatt hour has been set to cover the costs of energy bills to the municipality.

Climate change and environment manager with the City of Greater Bendigo, Michelle Wyatt, said installing the infrastructure had a range of benefits for EV owners and beyond.

“The drive is to try and facilitate increase in take up of EVs across the region, and particularly to attract EV users to Bendigo by providing them with the charging infrastructure to enable them to come here and enjoy the city,” she said.

“It’s definitely got an environmental outcome because we’re supporting the EV industry but also very much an economic development and tourism outcome because we’re trying to attract more EV drivers to our city.

“One of the barriers to EV take-up is that uncertainty about when they’ll be able to charge and that range anxiety about running out of charge and not having somewhere to go.

“It gives people confidence to buy an EV because they know they can take it with them on their holidays or weekends away.”

The chargers were installed with joint funding from the State Government’s Charging the Regions program and the municipality.

The City also operates two chargers at the Hargreaves and Edwards Streets carparks and other privately managed chargers are available to the public at locations across the region.

By 2026, the City is aiming for 35 per cent of its light fleet and five vehicles in its heavy fleet to be EVs, adding to its current collection of six.

Ms Wyatt said a prioritised plan is being developed to grow the region’s EV network.

“We’d love to benefit from future State Government incentives if they’re on offer to continue to help [local governments] co-fund this infrastructure because it has regional and statewide benefits,” she said.

“More is more with electric vehicle charging stations.”