Electric vehicle drivers have a new fast charging option at Frenchs Forest.
Warringah MP Zali Steggall OAM and Wakehurst MP Michael Regan attended the official opening of two new high-speed electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at Allambie Grove Business Park, Frenchs Forest.
The two new 150 kilowatt (kW) charging stations can both charge two cars, allowing for up to four vehicles to recharge simultaneously. Both MPs (main image, centre) drove their own EVs to the opening on Wednesday morning (05 July), and were joined by Head of Property at Active Super Scott Armstrong (main image, left) and Head of Charging for Evie Networks Bernhard Conoplia (main image, right).
The charging stations have been installed by provider Evie Networks and are located conveniently near Warringah Road, on the corner of Allambie Road and Frenchs Forest Road East, across the Road from KFC and the Skyline Shops.
Head of Charging for Evie Networks Bernhard Conoplia said the new fast charging stations at Frenchs Forest are part of a plan by Evie Networks to roll out thousands of chargers around Australia over the next ten years.
Bernhard Conoplia
“We’ve got a great partnership with Active Super [owner of Allambie Grove Business Park], we have been working together for the last 12 months to identify sites that are suitable for public fast charging. We both have a strong focus on sustainability. The network is 100 percent powered by renewable energy.
“This charging station is the first that we’ve launched in Australia with 150kW charging. We have two here, serving four bays, so four cars can charge at once. Drivers can add up to 150 kilometres (km) of range in as little as ten minutes.
“It is priced at 60 cents per kilowatt-hour (Kw.h), and we would expect the average session to be about 150km worth of range. That will cost about $15.00, which is about 30 to 50 percent cheaper than petrol,” explained Mr Conoplia.
Member for Warringah Zali Steggall said the government needed a ‘stronger roadmap’ for transition to electric transport.
Zali Steggall
“Transport emissions are still our fastest growing emission sector in Australia, due to population growth. We still don’t have a fast enough transition to electric vehicles.
“We need greater charging infrastructure and very important here to look at universal charging infrastructure, so that it doesn’t differentiate between types of cars that you might choose to purchase, and we know the ranges of cars available are increasing rapidly.
“The other aspect that government must do urgently is emissions standards on cars, because what that does it incentivises car manufacturers to import into Australia more electric vehicle models so that we don’t become the dumping ground of the dirty inefficient cars from Europe because they are transitioning much faster than we are,” said Ms Steggall.
Member for Wakehurst Michael Regan, who is a well-known advocate of EVs, said increased availability of public fast charging would help drive EV uptake.
Michael Regan
“Our Local Government Area (LGA) was ahead of the game in terms of encouraging EV take-up and making sure there’s enough charging stations around.
“We thank the Federal Government for what they’re doing to push it along, but having private business coming in and doing this is brilliant.
“At a state level, what we’re trying to do now is to ensure that we move out of the way, get regulations out of the way, so that we can encourage more uptake.
“We need to make it easy. The Federal Government has made it easy for companies to invest, Local Government has made it easy, now State Government needs to do similar. What we can do to assist, we will do, and I’ll be the biggest advocate,” said Mr Regan.
The new Evie Networks fast charging stations are open and available to charge, but people will need to sign with a payment method, using the Evie Networks app for Android or Apple.
Northern Beaches EV enthusiast Tom Gan, put a video on his YouTube channel ‘Ludicrous Feed’ detailing how to get to and use the new fast chargers.
Images: Northern Beaches Advocate
Video: Ludicrous Feed
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