EV infrastructure receives cash injection in the budget

The 2023 budget included a huge win for EV infrastructure, with a national fast-charging network and an investment in alternative fuels on the forefront.

Stephen Ottley

Treasurer Jim Chalmers hands down the 2023 Budget in the House of Representatives at Parliament House. Picture: Martin Ollman/Getty Images

2 min read

12:00AMMay 26, 2023.

Updated 5:07AMMay 27, 2023

A national fast-charging network and an investment in alternative fuels for all forms of road transport are two of the biggest signs the federal government is taking electric vehicle infrastructure seriously.

Following on from the Albanese government’s commitments to a national fuel standard as part of its National Electric Vehicle Strategy (NEVS), the 2023-24 federal budget included critical investments in areas of need.

A key part of the government’s plan for making EVs more viable for Australians is a $70m round of grants for funding infrastructure improvements, which will be delivered through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

This program includes the Driving the Nation Fund, which will provide $39.3m to the National Roads and Motorists’ Association. The NRMA will match that amount dollar for dollar to build a fast-charger network across the country.

This will reportedly include 117 fast chargers positioned around the country’s highways and key centres to provide chargers approximately every 150km on national highways.

The Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen with the Albanese Government's National Electric Vehicle Strategy Consultation Paper. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Announcing the funding, Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said that making infrastructure more widely available and affordable was a priority for the government.

“Transport costs are a huge part of household budgets, and getting the charging infrastructure in place for electric vehicles is critical to ensuring households have a real choice when it comes to picking their next car,” Bowen says.

In addition to this, the federal budget also included the announcement of a grandly named Transport and Infrastructure Net Zero Roadmap and Action Plan. This $8.4m investment will be used to fund a new strategy to help reduce emissions across all transport sectors. In addition to passenger vehicles, the fund will assist in getting heavy vehicles, rail, freight, maritime and aviation closer to net zero. The government has set a target of reducing carbon emissions to 43 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, with an end goal of reaching net zero by 2050.

While there wasn’t much detail about the Transport and Infrastructure Net Zero Roadmap and Action Plan, the government’s announcement said it will “help Australians secure long-lasting benefits from the renewable-energy transformation, while managing and minimising the impacts of the transition. The Roadmap will also deliver the most emissions abatement for each dollar spent”.

Another smaller piece of infrastructure news from the budget was a $5.2m spend over four years to develop a national charging infrastructure mapping tool, as well as safety training for emergency services.

EV infrastructure receives cash injection in the budget

ELECTRIC VEHICLES SPECIAL REPORT