Image credit: Chargefox

​​INVESTMENT PRIORITY: Improving energy productivity

LEAD ORGANISATION: Chargefox

ARENA FUNDING: $6 million

TOTAL PROJECT COST: $15 million

LOCATION: NSW, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA

​​This project will develop and construct at least 21 ultra-rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging sites, powered by renewable energy. The sites will be approximately 200 kilometres apart, along major driving routes between Brisbane and Adelaide. Charging stations will also be provided in and around Perth in Western Australia, and in Campbell Town, Tasmania.

The Chargefox network will allow EV drivers to quickly charge their vehicle between major cities when traveling long distances along the east coast of Australia, using an ultra-rapid charging technology that allows an EV to add 200 to 400 kilometres of range in just 15 minutes. This is 15 times faster than typical domestic charging points.

Each of the network’s sites will hold at least two DC charging stations and be able to charge all EV models currently available for sale in Australia. The energy to charge the vehicles will be 100 per cent renewable, generated by either onsite solar or contracted with large remotely located solar and wind farms.

The new network may help reduce range anxiety for prospective EV buyers, which, according to consumer studies, is seen as a key issue preventing greater EV adoption. As a result, it may help stimulate the uptake of EV sales in Australia, enabling the ongoing electrification of transport and the opportunity to power it with renewable energy.

HOW THIS PROJECT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

The project will help to put in place infrastructure that provides motorists with more choice in the type of vehicle they drive. The national network of ultra-rapid charging stations will enable EV drivers to confidently drive between Australia’s major cities, removing one of the major barriers that limit the adoption of EVs in Australia.