Funding for car chargers

REGIONAL Victoria is set to receive more electric vehicle charging stations with grants now available to councils, businesses and community organisations to see through their installation.

The State Government announced $5 million in funding for around 100 charging stations as part of the Destination Charging Across Victoria Program, with 80 per cent of the money to going to regional areas.

Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio said expanding the charging station network would help meet the needs of the growing number of electric vehicle drivers on Victorian roads.

“This will make it easier for electric vehicle drivers to make the trips they need, knowing that there will be a charging station when they need, where they need,” she said.

The State funding comes off the back of a regionally focused project to install chargers across 20 sites in partnership with 12 local governments and led by the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance.

Executive officer of the CVGA Rob Law said the installation of two EV chargers at the Queen Elizabeth Oval carpark as part of the Charging the Regions project is “a good start”.

“In Bendigo, it’s okay if you’re a Tesla driver because there’s a Tesla station but… I drive a Hyundai and we can’t use the Tesla stations so there’s very few options for charging at the moment in Bendigo,” he said.

“As an EV driver myself it’s really difficult to get around the regions without really planning ahead about where a charger will be.

“In a lot of regions in Victoria to date it’s been slow chargers which take a very long time and usually require at least four or five hours stop over.

“Having a greater network of fast chargers means there’s a lot less stress when you’re driving around as an EV driver, and you don’t get that same level of range anxiety about where you can go.

“It’s creating that network of chargers no less than 100-kilometres apart and that’s really vital.

“I think over the years we’ll see a constant need for the infrastructure to keep up with the demand but at the moment the infrastructure that’s going in will address the demand I imagine in the next couple of years.”