NSW towns get set to welcome more EV drivers

At a glance

• EV-Friendly Town awards to recognise NSW communities catering for electric car travellers
• More than one in five new car sales were battery electric vehicles in June
• Applications close on September 25, with three winners to be announced later this year

Towns across NSW are being encouraged to show how they are welcoming the growing number of EV drivers heading beyond the cities.

The NSW Government and Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) have launched the EV Friendly Towns initiative, a new awards program recognising communities that make it easier for electric car owners to visit, recharge, and spend time locally.

For drivers, that equals opportunities to plug in while stopping for lunch, to browse shops, or to check into accommodation for the night. For towns, it is a chance to turn a charging stop into part of the trip rather than somewhere drivers simply wait around.

The program comes as electric cars move further into the mainstream. In June new car sales, the Tesla Model Y was Australia’s best-selling vehicle outright for the second month running, recording 8072 sales and finishing ahead of long-time favourites including the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux. Battery electric sales reached a record 23.3 per cent, or more than one in five new vehicles on the road.

Those cars will increasingly be used for school holidays, weekends away and visits to friends and family, changing what drivers expect to find when they arrive in regional towns.

What will make a town stand out?

The inaugural awards will recognise NSW towns in three categories:

• Tiny: Communities with fewer than 1500 residents
• Small: Communities between 1500 and 5000 residents
• Top: Towns with more than 5000 residents

Charging requirements will vary with population. A Tiny town must have at least one public AC or DC charger, while larger entrants will need a mix of AC and DC charging.

However, the awards will not be decided by plug numbers alone. Judges will consider how charging connects with the town’s visitor experience, including:

• Nearby amenities
• Local tourism information
• Accessibility
• Business involvement
• Plans for further improvements

That could include adding charging locations to visitor maps, creating EV-friendly itineraries or working with accommodation providers, cafés and attractions to give travellers more reasons to stay.

The approach acknowledges that drivers do not necessarily want to spend every charging stop sitting in their cars. In a well-planned location, charging time can become coffee time, a walk through town or the beginning of an overnight stay.

NSW charging network continues to grow

The awards build on a steady expansion of charging infrastructure across NSW. More than 117,000 EVs are now registered in the state, while the NSW government has funded more than 3300 chargers across more than 1200 metropolitan, regional and remote sites.

Its updated NSW Electric Vehicle Strategy includes further expansion of EV fast charging, particularly in regional and remote areas. The longer-term aim is to provide charging at least every 100km along major NSW highways.

EV Friendly Towns shifts some of the attention from simply installing chargers to the experience drivers have around them and builds on the recently revealed EVenturemap, which shows EV drivers where they can stop, rest and recharge.

A charger near cafés, toilets, shops, parks or local attractions offers more value to a traveller than one sitting by itself. Clear signs, lighting and accessible parking can also make the stop easier for families, older drivers, and people with disability.

NSW minister for climate change and energy, Penny Sharpe, said improving charging access could support both EV adoption and regional economies.

“The Minns Labor Government wants to make EV travel more convenient while driving tourism and economic activity in regional NSW,” Sharpe said.

Electric Vehicle Council CEO Julie Delvecchio said charging was increasingly influencing where electric car owners chose to stop and stay.

“Just as road trippers once planned journeys around petrol stops, EV drivers are increasingly planning trips around charging locations and what’s on offer nearby,” she said.

“An EV driver doesn't just pass through a town. They stop to charge, and while they're there, they spend time and money on food, coffee or a place to stay.”

Applications now open

Applications are open to NSW councils, tourism organisations, visitor information centres and other eligible groups applying on behalf of a town. Non-council entrants will need support from their local council.

Applications close on September 25, and information sessions are scheduled for August and September. Full eligibility details and application documents are available from the EV Friendly Towns website.

One winner from each population category will be announced in November or December. Winning towns will receive statewide recognition and promotional support, while other eligible applicants will receive feedback on how they could become more accommodating to EV travellers.

In the meantime, electric car owners can use the NRMA Trip Planner to map their journey and find NRMA chargers or explore The NRMA’s growing collection of electric road trips.

As EV ownership grows, towns that offer somewhere appealing to stop as well as somewhere to plug in are likely to find themselves firmly on the road-trip map.