KEEN to fuel the push to electric vehicles across the country, six new superchargers will soon be installed in the Bathurst.
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While the city received two temporary Tesla superchargers in the old TAFE building car park last December, this new bank of six will be permanently installed.
On Tuesday, a number of mayors from across the Central West met at Mount Panorama to test drive electric cars and throw their support behind an increased use of the technology.
The mayors heard that many electric vehicle owners had “range anxiety”, but that the rollout of more charging stations across the region would reduce this.
Council environmental officer Joel Little said one charge provides around 400 kilometres of driving, but additional charge locations would mean people could drive further across the region.
“We believe that by putting charging stations in, it will bring people to our city who might not have come here,” he said.
Mr Little said on average an electric vehicle would be 80 per cent charged in just 30 minutes.
Bathurst’s new superchargers have been designed, but he said council was “waiting on approval to connect with Essential Energy”.
While council would not specify where the superchargers would be located, the Western Advocate understands the chargers will be located at the Bathurst Visitor Information Centre.
At the launch, Bathurst mayor Graeme Hanger said the technology was a “huge step in the transport industry”.
We believe that by putting charging stations in, it will bring people to our city who might not have come here.
- Bathurst Regional Council's Joel Little
“The technology is improving all the time … we’re at the cutting edge, we’re encouraging it,” he said.
ACT minister for climate change and sustainability Shane Rattenbury told those at Mount Panorama that issues with “range anxiety” in regional areas were more significant than in metropolitan locations.
“That’s why we’re keen to work with regional governments to use some of our expertise to help rollout extra infrastructure,” he said.
Parkes Shire Council mayor Ken Keith was among the mayors at Mount Panorama and he said the region would benefit from more electric vehicle chargers and councils working together.
“As a region we need to work together with Bathurst council, and and the other councils in the region, as part of the Central NSW Joint Organisation to ensure that we have vehicles and charging stations all around the region,” he said.
“They’ve [electric vehicles drivers] got to have the confidence they can charge their vehicles and be able to move on and tour the region.
“Parkes is looking at a couple of locations now where we can put charging stations in our community and I think all of the communities in the Central West need to do the same.”
Once the permanent supercharging site is operational in Bathurst, the temporary one in the TAFE car park will be removed.