The NSW Government and the NRMA will deliver at least 20 additional electric vehicle fast chargers to the existing regional network along NSW’s major highways.
The first two charging stations will be installed in Wagga Wagga and Yass in September 2020. This will help complete the rollout of charging stations on both the Sturt and Hume highways.
Electric vehicle drivers will be no more than 150 kilometres from a charging station once the regional network is completed by 2020. This will allow people to travel to Broken Hill, Moree and Bourke, and link up to major routes in Queensland, Victoria and South Australia.
The Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Minister stated that the additional charging stations will open regional NSW up to electric vehicle owners.
He noted that the extended network will help further support the regional tourism economy and promote local investment in regional centres along the Newell, Barrier, New England, and Kamilaroi highways.
Growing the demand for electric vehicles in Australia
According to another article, an Australian listed public energy company will provide and install 150 smart chargers to incentivise new and existing EV owners to participate in the trial.
The smart chargers will be installed across residential, commercial and industrial premises of EV owners and fleets, where they will be remotely monitored and controlled via software. The smart chargers will also be integrated into the company’s existing platform for managing distributed energy.
The $2.9 million trial will look to evaluate the benefits of and barriers to controlled smart charging, including improving our understanding of EV driver behaviour, willingness to accept third party control and what incentives are needed to encourage future participation in charge management programs.
Smart chargers will allow control of EV charging in order to avoid negative impacts on the grid, and maximise the use and value of renewable energy.
The trial will help to demonstrate how the Australian electricity grid can successfully integrate higher numbers of EVs while limiting costly network expansion.
As the uptake of EVs increases, it will be important to efficiently manage the charging of vehicles, to avoid potentially costly impacts on peak demand, associated network charges and grid security issues.
Smart charging enables charging at times when demand is lowest and electricity is cheapest, which reduces the burden on the network and the cost to the customer.
The company’s Executive General Manager of Future Energy and Technology said that he hoped the trial will help them better understand how they can maximise the benefits to customers by offering products that reduce their EV charging costs, as well as manage EV charging in a way that helps with grid and network stability.
The firm has developed a leading artificial intelligence orchestration platform, with a wide range of distributed assets, such as storage, residential air-conditioning systems, pool pumps and industrial coolers, already connected and continuing to grow.
The platform will enable the capability to remotely switch chargers on and off, or higher or lower, in response to changes in wholesale prices, with benefits for customers in terms of lower charging costs and the NEM as we can more efficiently manage demand and supply in the system.
The company aims to push people to think about EVs as more than just cars and saving on petrol, they will double as battery storage in the home and be connected to virtual power plants or used for grid stabilisation, all of which will significantly reduce payback periods and improve the economics of EV ownership for many Australians.