Hobart’s Dunn St carpark could become electric car hub with installation of new fast-charging station

Electric cars will soon be able to power up at a new fast-charging station right in the heart of Hobart. Find out where it will be located.

A prime Hobart CBD site has been touted as an electric car charging hub.

ELECTRIC cars will soon be able to power up at a new fast-charging station right in the heart of Hobart.

The City of Hobart will install a 60kW charging station with two connection points in the Dunn St carpark after it secured a $50,000 ChargeSmart grant from the State Government.

The grant will help cover the estimated $190,000 cost of installation and upgrades of electrical infrastructure to support its use.

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The Dunn St carpark next to the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.

Hobart City Council’s city innovation director Peter Carr said the location was chosen because it was close to major arterial roads, was highly visible and had space for future expansion.

He said the convenient location could become a charging hub for electric vehicles in the state’s capital.

“While we are initially going to install a 60kW charger, the network infrastructure will be put in place to support 175kW of charging,” Mr Carr said.

“This provides the opportunity to install more connections as the demand increases.

“Once this infrastructure is in place, it will become part of a network of fast-charging points across Tasmania, making electric vehicles a more feasible option for residents and visitors looking to embrace the move toward a lower-emission lifestyle.”

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RACT general manager mobility services Darren Moody with an electric car at their city headquarters. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

Mr Carr said the provision of fast-charge park-and-pay electric vehicle infrastructure was part of the city’s Connected Hobart (Smart Cities) Action Plan.

The new charger is expected to be available for use by mid-2020.

It will be in addition to two free electric vehicle trickle-chargers located in the Hobart Central carpark and others at the Macquarie Point carpark.

Environment Minister Peter Gutwein said the State Government had invested more than $500,000 into a statewide fast charging network for drivers to access 14 new stations at 12 locations, including charging up in a matter of minutes at several locations.

“Through the Government’s Electric Vehicle ChargeSmart Grants — Fast Charging program we are empowering more Tasmanians to take up electric vehicle ownership and reduce their carbon footprint,” he said.

In May, Australian open charging network Chargefox announced it would install an ultra-rapid charging station in Campbell Town by the end of this year.

The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows there were 152 electric vehicles registered in Greater Hobart in January 2018.

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