The state government will accelerate the transition to electric vehicles by funding the electrification of fleets and the installation of more fast and ultra-fast charging infrastructure.
The EV Fleets Incentive Program will award grants to 37 successful applicants, resulting in an extra 1,820 electric vehicles on the state's roads. The figure is the equivalent to 22 per cent of the number of EVs registered in NSW in 2023 to date.
The government has to date invested $26 million into three rounds of the program, adding more than 3,800 EVs. A total of $105 million has been allocated for the duration of the scheme.
"Supporting the electrification of fleets is a win-win. Not only does it significantly increase the number of EVs on our roads and decrease emissions, it also results in more affordable second-hand EVs coming onto the market as fleets tend to turn over their vehicles every three to five years," Climate change and energy minister Penny Sharpe said.
"Fast and ultra-fast charging is convenient for drivers who need to re-charge their car battery quickly, whether they're travelling in metro or regional areas. The new chargers will be installed in public locations such as shopping centres to make it easy for EV owners to top-up batteries while they go about their everyday lives."
The government also announced it has awarded $44.8 million under the second round of the EV Fast Charging Grants Program.
These funds contribute towards the cost of building and operating fast and ultra-fast EV charging stations.
The grants will help organisations install 104 new charging stations where drivers can fully charge their EVs in 10 to 15 minutes. Each station contains between four and 15 ultra-fast charging bays.
They will be built over the next 18 to 24 months on highways and in regional and metropolitan areas.'
"We're working with businesses to create a large network of accessible and efficient charging infrastructure that will encourage more people to choose electric vehicles," Ms Sharpe said.
The next round of the EV Fast Charging Grants Program will open in early 2024, taking the total commitment to $149 million.
When complete, this program will ensure charging stations are no more than five kilometres apart in metropolitan areas and no more than 100 kilometres apart on major roads and highways in NSW.
