NSW funds 1,500 electric vehicle charge points, plans EV tourist routes

State governments are ramping up electric vehicle charging funding – and NSW plans to create an EV tourist route. Volvo Car Australia is planning a major partnership too.

The New South Wales government is helping to fund a major rollout of electric vehicle chargers – and plans to create EV tourist routes around the state.

The funding programme aims to help accelerate electric vehicle adoption and boost eco tourism, with wineries, cafes, restaurants, museums, tourist information centres and zoos all able to claim 75 per cent off the cost of charging infrastructure.

Meanwhile the Queensland government has also announced funding for another 500 public charge points across hospitals, TAFEs, theatres and convention centres.

While sales of EVs are accelerating fast, tripling this year in Australia on last year, concerns about availability of charging stations – particularly outside of urban areas – are acting as a handbrake.

Although the average driver in Australia travels fewer than 50km a day – compared to new electric vehicle ranges now topping 500km* on a single charge – more public chargers are needed as electric vehicles begin to replace petrol and diesel vehicles over the next few years.

The NSW government strategy, along with Queensland and Victoria, aims to ensure more than half of all electric vehicle sales are electric by 2030. The ACT government is aiming for 80-90 per cent of new car sales to be zero emissions by that time.

Australia’s energy system operator expects 3 million EVs to be on the roads within seven years, around a 25-fold increase from today.

The NSW government strategy, along with Queensland and Victoria, aims to ensure more than half of all electric vehicle sales are electric by 2030. The ACT government is aiming for 80-90 per cent of new car sales to be zero emissions by that time.

Which means for many people their next car will probably be electric.

Volvo Car Australia, which will only sell electric cars from 2026, is planning a major charging partnership, with details coming soon, which will help address those concerns and give drivers more peace of mind.

In the meantime, Volvo Cars’ electric vehicles, which come with Google built in**, give drivers instant access to EV route planning. That means drivers can let Google Maps plot the most efficient route, with chargers and rest points along the way, to ensure the smoothest trips – tourist routes or otherwise.

Planning a long trip in your EV this summer? Find out more about fast public chargers here.

*Of Volvo Car Australia’s currently available EV models, the C40 Recharge is capable of up to 507km electric range. The XC40 Recharge is capable of up to 500km electric range. The real-life driving range and energy consumption achieved under real conditions varies depending on factors including but not limited to driving style, road and traffic conditions, environmental influences, vehicle condition and accessories fitted, means in the real world the range you experience can differ from that advertised.

** Google, Google Play and Google Maps are trademarks of Google LLC