Charging availability, along with price, appear to be the two big unlocks to Electric Vehicle adoption. Thankfully much of the East Coast of Australia has seen fast-charging infrastructure being rolled out over the past few years.
On the other side of the country, the charging story is definitely a very different one. Western Australia is a massive state, around 2.646 million km² and yet, finds itself with just a few options for charging, mostly around Perth. Even the most avid EV enthusiast would find this challenging, with road trips limited by the range available in the car.
Western Australian Premier, Mark McGowan this afternoon announced the state will be funding the longest electric vehicle fast-charging network in Australia.
McGowan says the number of Electric Vehicles on WA roads is increasing rapidly. They are important technology and it’s vital that our networks keep up.
His Government has a $21m Electic Vehicle Strategy and under that plan, will fund a charging network that will allow road trips from Kununurra to Esperance in an EV.
It’s great to see a Premier put up the money, it’s encouraging EVs adoption, enabling WA to create new, cleaner jobs, while having a positive impact on cutting emissions and reducing pollution.
“This announcement represents an exciting time in Western Australia, with the state contributing some of the most significant funds of any Australian jurisdiction towards charging infrastructure that will facilitate the uptake of this environmentally sustainable technology.
The EV Strategy will see Western Australia become home to one of the world’s longest electric vehicle charging infrastructure networks in a single state, enabling drivers of low or zero-emissions vehicle to travel from Perth to Kununurra in the north, Esperance in the south and Kalgoorlie in the east.”
Innovation and ICT Minister, Dave Kelly
“The actions outlined in this Strategy are an important element of the Government’s Western Australian Climate Policy.
Increasing the uptake of electric vehicles is an important element to achieve a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and achieving the McGowan Government’s aspiration of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.”
Environment Minister, Stephen Dawson
As part of the plan, the State Government will lead by example by increasing its own fleet of electric vehicles, committing to a target of acquiring at least 25% electric vehicles across eligible vehicles in the State fleet. To support the State Government’s electric vehicle fleet target, electric vehicle charging stations will be installed in government buildings.
