Further action to accelerate the EV transition in New South Wales
The NSW Government is accelerating the transition to electric vehicles in New South Wales by funding the electrification of fleets and the installation of more fast and ultra-fast charging infrastructure.
The EV Fleets Incentive Program is awarding grants to 37 successful applicants, resulting in an extra 1,820 electric vehicles on our roads. That is equivalent to 22% of the number of EVs registered in New South Wales in 2023 to date.
The NSW Government has so far invested $26 million into 3 rounds of this program, adding more than 3,800 EVs. A total of $105 million has been allocated for the duration of the scheme.
The NSW Government is also announcing it has awarded $44.8 million under the second round of the EV Fast Charging Grants Program. These funds contribute towards the cost of building and operating fast and ultra-fast EV charging stations.
The grants will help organisations install 104 new charging stations where drivers can fully charge their EVs in 10 to 15 minutes. Each station contains between 4 and 15 ultra-fast charging bays. They will be built over the next 18 to 24 months on highways and in regional and metropolitan areas.
The next round of the EV Fast Charging Grants Program will open in early 2024, taking the total commitment to $149 million. When complete, this program will ensure charging stations are no more than 5 kilometres apart in metropolitan areas and no more than 100 kilometres apart on major roads and highways in New South Wales.
The EV Fast Charging Grants Program is part of the Minns Government's $209 million investment into charging infrastructure, which also includes:
- $20 million in grants through the EV Destination Charging Program
- $10 million in EV Ready Building grants to retrofit electrical infrastructure in apartments
- $10 million for more kerbside charging
These programs will increase take up of electric vehicles in New South Wales and help achieve our Net Zero emissions targets.
The NSW Government has committed an additional $260 million in the 2023–24 Budget to underpin the rollout of a new NSW EV Strategy which will be released in 2024.
A map of NSW public charging stations is available here: EV public charging master plan
Quote attributable to Minister for Climate Change and Energy Penny Sharpe:
"Supporting the electrification of fleets is a win-win. Not only does it significantly increase the number of EVs on our roads and decrease emissions, it also results in more affordable second-hand EVs coming onto the market as fleets tend to turn over their vehicles every 3 to 5 years.
"Fast and ultra-fast charging is convenient for drivers who need to re-charge their car battery quickly, whether they're travelling in metro or regional areas. The new chargers will be installed in public locations such as shopping centres to make it easy for EV owners to top-up batteries while they go about their everyday lives.
"We're working with businesses to create a large network of accessible and efficient charging infrastructure that will encourage more people to choose electric vehicles."
