EV infrastructure company, EVX, has installed a kerbside charging station at Hawks Nest.
Located at Booner Street, the dual 22 kilowatt EVX charger provides an alternative to waiting for highway adjacent rapid charging.
With more than 8 per cent of new cars now running on electricity, regional areas are struggling to provide the infrastructure needed to sustain local EV drivers and EV-driving tourists.
Pole-mounted charging infrastructure is seen as critical to tackling bottlenecks at other charging facilities, particularly during busy holiday periods. The project is part of a trial with EVX and Essential Energy to test the feasibility of installing chargers on Essential Energy-owned power poles across regional NSW.
"EV-driving locals and tourists visiting this region are increasing, but the rate at which new public chargers are being built is not keeping up with the volume of new EVs on the road," EVX chief executive Andrew Forster said.
Essential Energy chief commercial officer Justin Hillier said installing more charging stations across regional, rural and remote NSW would help overcome one of the main barriers for those looking to purchase an EV - range anxiety.
"We are working with charge point operators like EVX and local councils like MidCoast Council to see more charge points installed on the network as part of our commitment to facilitate the adoption of electric vehicles," Mr Hillier said.
EVX has to date made agreements with Ausgrid, the City of Newcastle, and City of Sydney. It is aiming to partner with more electricity distributors and local councils to increase the availability of charging opportunities outside the home and fast-charging stations.
Its one-of-a-kind kerbside chargers can be installed with ease on pre-existing (utility pole) infrastructure.
The chargers have a low impact on the local electricity grid infrastructure by utilising AC charging with smart charging capability.
As vehicle manufacturers increase the AC charging capacity of their vehicles, EVX's software can allow for updates to the capacity remotely. Charging time will depend on vehicle specifications and battery utilisation.
According to the company's factsheet, a 22kilowatt EVX polecharger will take 4.9 hours to fully charge a Tesla Model 3 with a 54 kilowatt battery. It will take 7.5 hours to fully charge a Tesla Model 3 (long range) with a 82 kilowatt battery.
Being built on existing power poles means the above-ground charging points are easily added without the need for major civil works. EVX is one of the only charging technologies that has been locally designed and manufactured and is compliant with Australian regulations.
MidCoast Council mayor Claire Pontin said kerbside destination chargers would support the area's thriving tourism sector as more people rely on EVs to travel longer distances.
