Tropical North Queensland will soon host a free electric vehicle (EV) road trip trial which will see a network of EV charging stations built at six popular tourist destinations.

The six chosen sites are Paronella Park, Herberton Historic Village, Coffee Works Mareeba, Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, Hartleys Crocodile Adventures and the Mossman Gorge centre.

The project which is expected to be built and ready by September, is run by the Queensland Government and RACQ and will see charging stations installed for the year-long trial.

“It is expected that most, if not all, sites will continue to offer free EV charging once the trial has ended,” said member for Cairns, Michael Healy.

“Electric vehicle ownership is gaining momentum, and residential and commercial buildings in Queensland, as well as public infrastructure will need to keep up with the technological advancement.”

“The EV chargers at these sites will deliver between 3.6kW and 7kW (AC) to recharge vehicles to give around 100km to 200km of charging at each site,” said member for Barron River, Craig Crawford.

“It means long-distance travel to the Cairns region by EV is much easier due to access to fast and ultra-fast charging using the 50kW (DC) fast chargers along the Queensland Electric Super Highway or the 350kW DC ultra-fast RACQ charger at Toombul Shopping Centre.”

“We know ‘range anxiety’ is a big fear for those considering making the switch to a low emissions vehicle, and a comprehensive and connected electric vehicle charging network is essential to calming these concerns, ” said RACQ public policy head Dr Rebecca Michael.

Source: EV Talk | Years Free EV Charging Trial

27 Jun 2019