Electric car charging stations to connect eastern state capitals

The electric car revolution is about to ramp up, allowing vehicles to drive halfway across the country.

More than 40 recharging sites will be rolled out between Cairns and Adelaide over the next 2½ years.

The first link in a chain of electric fast chargers connecting Australia’s eastern capitals will be opened in Queensland on Tuesday by a company determined to lead the charge into battery car infrastructure.

Evie Networks says the site, halfway between Brisbane and Noosa on the Bruce Highway, will be part of a fast charger network allowing electric cars to travel from Adelaide to Cairns.

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Chief executive Chris Mills said the 42-site rollout would be finished by April 2022 and comprise both highway locations ­between towns and “doughnut” facilities that ring cities.

“All the major highways into and out of cities will have a charging station located on the outskirts,” he said.

“And then you’ll have the charging stations on highways into towns. Range anxiety is always something ­people get nervous about. The chargers are located at an average spacing that allows people confidence to get from charging station to charging station.”

Tritium technology in action in Europe.

The fast chargers, supplied by Brisbane company Tritium were state-of-the-art units that delivered quick refills at roughly half the price of petrol, he said.

All sites would have at least two of the 350kW units, with the doughnut sites to expand to six as demand increased.

The Evie rollout was based on a forecast that electric vehicles would account for 25 per cent of new car sales by 2030.

Mr Mills said investors in Evie, chiefly the St Baker Energy Innovation Fund run by Trevor St Baker and the Australian ­Renewable Energy Agency, had put in the $50m required to get the network up an running.

They were taking a long-term view of the project and regard it as an essential step into future mobility ventures such as ride-share and autonomous vehicles.

The St Baker fund is also a key investor in Tritium, which has risen quickly to become a lead supplier to supercharger networks globally, including the Ionity network being rolled out across Europe. The first Evie site between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, provides 24-hours access, lighting and security.

Mr Mills said Evie’s network would complement the other fast-charger network being built by Chargefox at 22 stations connecting eastern states.