Bathurst is set to have its first permanent electric car charging station in the coming weeks, with the new location starting to take shape near the CBD.
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The new station features six Tesla Supercharger ports and a fast charging port provided by the NRMA.
The site is situated next to the Bathurst Visitor Information Centre.
While the Supercharger ports cater only for Tesla vehicles, the NRMA port is compatible with all other electric vehicle models.
The site will succeed the existing Supercharger station currently situated behind the old TAFE building, which was the first of its kind to be installed west of the Blue Mountains.
Installed in 2017, the two-port station was always intended to be temporary while the location for a permanent charging site was to be devised between Bathurst Regional Council and Tesla.
Bathurst Regional Council was approached for comments on the new station, but declined.
Supercharger ports take around 20 minutes to charge a vehicle to 50 per cent and up to 75 minutes for a full charge.
Tesla currently has two vehicle brands [Model S and Model X] available in Australia with a third [Model 3] set to be introduced later this year.
The installation of a permanent electric vehicle station is part of a push to bolster Bathurst's reputation as an emerging Smart City.
Another initiative of council's Smart City plan, free Wi-Fi in the CBD, was launched last Wednesday.
In December last year, the NSW Innovation and Productivity Council listed Bathurst as one of the state's seven leading innovation centres, alongside Wollongong, Wagga Wagga, Newcastle, Armidale and the Sydney suburbs of Macquarie Park and Ultimo.
The emergence of a permanent charging station in the Bathurst CBD comes after the federal Labor opposition made a significant pledge regarding electric vehicles on Monday.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten announced that, should Labor form government at the upcoming federal election, the party will push for electric vehicles to comprise 50 per cent of car sales by 2030.
The pledge has been supported by the NRMA, who has called for a ban on the sale of petrol vehicles by as early as 2025.
