The NSW Government has announced multiple Fast Charging Grants to co-fund new fast and ultra-fast charging bays for electric vehicles (EVs) across the state.
The $39.4 million worth of grants will help create 86 new charging stations of four to 15 bays each, designed to recharge EVs in as little as 15 minutes.
The first round of grants have gone to Ampol, BP, Evie Networks, Tesla, the NRMA and Zeus Renewables. Matt Kean, Treasurer and Minister for Energy, said the grants will give NSW Australia’s largest and fastest public EV charging network.
“This investment will see the largest, fastest and most comprehensive public EV charging network in Australia.
“Each of these stations will contain a minimum of two ultra-fast EV charging bays of 350kW capacity, and two fast charging bays of 175kW, with some stations containing up to 15 bays.
“The ultra-fast chargers will be able to charge modern EVs from 20 per cent to 80 per cent in around 15 minutes and all stations will be fully powered with renewable energy.
“This is the first of an expected three funding rounds, with hundreds more stations set to be built over the coming years,” he said.
Receiving a grant of $9 million as part of the scheme, Ampol is set to deliver over 110 of these bays at 19 different AmpCharge sites across key commuter routes throughout Greater Sydney and regional NSW.
Matt Halliday, Managing Director and CEO of Ampol, said the announcement adds momentum to the rollout of AmpCharge, as the company aims to establish the leading EV charging network in Australia by 2030.
“Our AmpCharge network continues to grow, and this new program of work will allow us to expand beyond our forecourts to include at-destination charging at shopping centres,” he said.
“We are also diversifying our forecourt charging offer by building our first charging hubs at high-traffic locations. These hubs will provide customers with a highly accessible and reliable charge solution along key highways, including at our M4 Eastern Creek service centre, where we plan to install up to 10 bays.”
Aiming to minimise range anxiety and maximise the appeal of battery EVs, Halliday continues, “We’ve been keeping Australians moving for over 100 years and our AmpCharge network will help ensure this continues.
“We are translating our market-leading position in transport fuels to develop a strong position in energy by transitioning with our customers to meet their future energy needs,” he said.
The NSW Government aims to add approximately 250 fast and ultra-fast charging stations across the state to ensure chargers are no more than five km apart in metropolitan areas and 100 km on regional roads and highways.
The second round of Government grants are expected to open towards the latter part of this year.
To stay up to date on the latest industry headlines, sign up to the C&I e-newsletter.