Warsaw, Poland – July 19, 2021: Electric car charging station installed on a sidewalk just nearby parking places. you can see this in recently modernized part of Powisle district.

The Electric Vehicle Council has welcomed a $24.55 million commitment announced today by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to expand Australia’s fast charging network for EVs.

The funding will be distributed to five charging infrastructure companies – Evie Networks, Ampol, Engie, Chargefox, and Electric Highways Tasmania. The companies will build 127 fast-charging stations in NSW, 106 in Victoria, 86 in Queensland, 33 in WA, 29 is SA, ten in Tasmania, nine in the ACT and three in the Northern Territory.

Electric Vehicle Council chief executive Behyad Jafari said the charging infrastructure announcement was important on a number of levels: “Obviously these new fast charging stations will provide a practical benefit to EV drivers, but beyond that, they will also have a powerful effect on consumer sentiment.

“We know Australians are very interested in buying electric cars, but there is hesitancy about whether or not the government will back them with infrastructure and supportive regulation.

“The highly visible construction of hundreds of new fast charging stations across the country should send a powerful message to consumers about the viability and practicality of making the switch to a zero-emission vehicle.”

He adds that mass EV uptake is strongly in Australia’s national interest given the benefits to the environment.

“If the federal government wants to seize the benefits of accelerating EV uptake, it should support this fast charging initiatives through consumer incentives and introducing long-overdue fuel emission standards, akin to those enforced in the US and the EU,” Behyad adds.