NSW expands funding for more than 100 public electric-car fast-chargers and fleets

The New South Wales Government has announced how it will spend some of the $260 million allocated in this financial year’s budget towards achieving its electric vehicle (EV) strategy, with more public EV fast-chargers and grants for fleet buyers among the highlights.

In a media statement, the State Government said it has awarded $44.8 million in grants towards fast and ultra-fast EV chargers across the state, bringing its total investment in the technology to $149 million.

According to the NSW Government, the second round of funding will result in 104 new charging stations being built – each with between four and 15 ultra-fast charging bays – in regional, metropolitan and highway-adjacent areas within 18 to 24 months.

The government claims EV fast-charging stations will be no more than five kilometres apart in metropolitan areas and less than 100 kilometres apart on major roads within the state – a distance easily achieved by any solely electric car currently on sale in Australia – once the roll-out has been completed.

In total, the NSW Government will have spent $209 million on EV charging infrastructure within the state, which has included a $20 million spend on ‘destination’ chargers, $10 million on retrofitted chargers within existing buildings, and $10 million for kerbside chargers.

The state government also announced an expansion of its ‘EV Fleets Incentive Program’, with 37 applicants now being approved which it claims will result in an additional 1820 electric cars on the state’s roads – more than 20 per cent of the current number.

So far there has been $26 million invested into the electric-vehicle fleets program, claimed to be responsible for more than 3800 EVs registered in NSW – though the scheme’s total spend is budgeted at $105 million.

The announcement of the recent investments less than one month before the NSW Government scraps its $3000 purchase rebate – and free stamp duty – for eligible electric cars, due to be wrapped up on 1 January 2024.

The rebate scheme has been in place since 1 September 2021 and is available to buyers of the first 25,000 electric cars sold with a 'dutiable value' of less than $68,750.

As of 31 August 2023, only one-third of the rebates had been claimed – equivalent to 8391 cars or $25.1 million of the $75 million allocated to the program.