Victorian towns install EV chargers to lure in drivers experiencing ‘range anxiety’

Victoria’s tourist towns are seeking to cash in on the growing demographic of electric car owners by wooing drivers with public charging stations in popular road trip destinations.

The councils say they want to deliver the crucial EV infrastructure to relieve “range anxiety”, where drivers of electric cars might stay away for fear of being stranded and unable to recharge when their car batteries run low.

Indigo Shire tourism manager Susannah Doyle at the electric charger in Beechworth. Credit: Eddie Jim

The latest figures from the Australian Automobile Association showed sales of battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles tipped over 30,000 in the second quarter of 2024, although sales have fluctuated on a monthly basis.

Earlier this year, the Indigo Shire, in Victoria’s north-east, partnered with EV charging operator Evie Networks to install public chargers in the towns of Rutherglen and Chiltern, following the installation of a charger in Beechworth last year.

The chargers, which are located on council land, must use 100 per cent renewable energy under the agreement between Evie and the council.

Indigo Shire tourism manager Susannah Doyle said tourism destinations that failed to accommodate EV owners risked being left behind. She said the council had installed the chargers to ease concerns about range anxiety among EV owners, whose numbers will continue to grow.

The electric car charger in the tourism town of Beechworth. Credit: Eddie Jim

“We want to be attractive to electric vehicle and hybrid owners,” she said.

Doyle said the historic town of Beechworth, known for its exceptionally well-preserved Gold Rush architecture, attracted visitors who were driving specifically to experience the town, as well as “drop-in traffic” coming off the Hume Highway. She said the vast majority of visitors drove their own cars to tourism destinations in the region.

“It’s definitely a self-drive destination,” she said.

Doyle said placing public chargers near shops, eating spots and tourism attractions helped visitors to discover new experiences and spend money at local businesses.

Newhaven in Phillip Island will soon get a new public electric vehicle charger. Credit: Joe Armao

“It encourages dwell time. People do stop and stay.”

While there are hundreds of chargers dotted across the state, many are located on private properties such as wineries and hotels. And charging stations are much more sporadic in regional Victoria than suburban Melbourne.

Bass Coast Shire chief executive Greg Box said his council planned to install public chargers in four locations in time for the summer holidays - at Inverloch, Grantville, Wonthaggi and Newhaven on Phillip Island. Box said the chargers would be able to provide 100 kilometres of charge in 15 minutes.

The council will install and operate the chargers, unlike many other councils that are only providing the public land to EV charging companies that will operate the infrastructure.

Box said the council wanted to step in and fill gaps in the EV charging network rather than waiting for the private sector to build more stations.

“The marketplace won’t come in and fill it overnight,” he said. “We’re stepping in and intervening.”

While there are multiple charging stations on the Bass Coast, most of them are located on private property. Battery electric vehicles have an average range of about 400 kilometres on a full charge, although some models have up to 600 kilometres, according to the Electric Vehicle Council.

Yackandandah resident Simon Davis has driven his electric Nissan Leaf extensively throughout Victoria and NSW. He said while he found chargers placed in convenient locations, oftentimes they were out of order when he arrived.

Simon Davis charging his car. Credit: Eddie Jim

Davis said this was a common complaint among fellow EV drivers he had met.

“Some people do get really anxious because they turn up, and the thing doesn’t work,” he said.

The state government has provided funding for many chargers across Victoria. Last year the Moyne Shire approved the installation of a charger on public land at Port Fairy, which is operated by Evie Networks.

On the Surf Coast, the council will install a public charger at Lorne before Christmas to replace the existing broken charger in front of the visitor information centre. The council confirmed it was also seeking locations in Winchelsea and Anglesea for the installation of public chargers.

Electric Vehicle Council head of energy and infrastructure, Ross De Rango, said drivers of electric cars adjusted quickly to travelling without petrol.

“Once you’ve owned one for a while you become much more confident you won’t run out of juice,” he said.

De Rango said a typical stop to charge took about 20 minutes at a fast charging station. However, he said it was often unnecessary to fully charge the electric car’s battery.

“It’s not about how long it takes to get a full charge,” he said. “It’s about how much of a top-up you need to get where you’re going.”

Victorian Tourism Industry Council chief executive Felicia Mariani said it was crucial that electric drivers had access to public chargers so they could feel confident while driving throughout regional areas.

“That range anxiety is a really big issue for a lot of people,” she said.

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