Nanango motel embraces future with electric car chargers

A Nanango motel owner has installed electric car chargers, allowing guests to ‘refill’ their vehicles for less than a tank of petrol.

Nanango Star Motel owner Andrew Beck with newly installed Tesla vehicle charger. Photo: Dominic Elsome

A NANANGO hotel has embraced the future, installing electric vehicle chargers for its guests.

The Nanango Star Motel is now home to two Tesla chargers available for guests to use, and owner Andrew Beck said the move was about embracing the future.

“I reckon in 10 years, maybe 20 years, there won’t be many petrol cars around … so why not get ahead,” Mr Beck said.

The new facilities are the first of their kind in Nanango.

The two chargers are ‘slow’ chargers which take about 8 hours to fully recharge an electric vehicle.

Mr Beck said he had the slow chargers installed rather than fast chargers to encourage drivers to spend money in the town.

“They have to stay overnight – it makes business for me but also if people then stay overnight, it brings more money into town,” he said.

Nanango Star Motel owner Andrew Beck with newly installed Tesla vehicle charger. Photo: Dominic Elsome

Guests wanting to use the chargers will be billed an extra $20 a night to use them.

“It’s a lot less than a tank of petrol,” he said.

While Mr Beck had only seen a few electric and hybrid vehicles pass through town, he expected the number to grow as EVs became more common as well as the motel now being listed as a charging point on apps.

And even if the service becomes popular, Mr Beck didn’t expect his electricity bills to skyrocket.

“They reckon with the slow charging one’s it’s almost like leaving a light on overnight,” he said.

He’s also considering moving to an electric vehicle himself once his wife’s petrol-powered car dies.

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