Australia is reportedly set to set a new record for the largest electric vehicle charging stations installed, with more than 391 kerbside charging stations projected across 16 different local government areas.

The NSW Government will collaborate with eight EV charging experts to install the kerbside devices over the next 12 months, as it promised before the State Election last year.

A $4.1 million contribution from the New South Wales government will help partially fund the EV charger installation.

The government's $4.1 million contribution supplements the $8 million that those eight professionals invested to construct 671 EV charging points across 391 sites.

The purpose of the kerbside units is to offer EV owners who do not have access to a private charger a means of charging. They can be mounted on telegraph poles or other infrastructure items or stand alone as pedestals or kiosks. They will be open to the public 24/7 and have a charging capacity between 7kW and 75kW.

The prices, which have not yet been disclosed, will probably be determined by the charger's operator. Charging speed will also affect the price.

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Australia's EV Push

The news is a part of the $209 million the NSW government is investing in EV charging infrastructure. Of that amount, fast chargers will cost $149 million, destination charger subsidies will cost $20 million, and retrofitting residences with EV chargers will cost $10 million.

Drivers of battery-powered vehicles are permitted to drive in the state's "T2" and "T3" transit lanes until June 30, 2025, as part of a prolonged exemption to encourage the purchase of EVs, even though NSW no longer gives a cashback rebate on the purchase price of EVs.

Australia's push for EVs follows after the country's recently announced "New Vehicle Efficiency Standard" (NVES), which intends to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the level of a small nation's CO2 emissions while requiring automakers to supply fuel-efficient automobiles. 

Additionally, it ensures that more gasoline, diesel, hybrid, and electric cars will be available for locals to use for both business and pleasure. Early in 2025, the new criteria will go into effect.

UK's Record-Setting EV Charger Installation

The global drive for EVs is progressing significantly, as just recently, around 6,000 new electric car chargers were built in the United Kingdom during the first three months of 2024, apparently setting a record for the country's record number of installations. This indicates that 

At the beginning of April, the number of active public parking meters in the UK was over 60,000, nearly twice as many as in 2022 and up roughly 49% over 2023. 

CEO of the automotive think tank New AutoMotive, Ben Nelmes, says that public charging has been made available in places not previously served by the UK's recent development of its facilities for charging electric vehicles.

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