Following a successful 12 month trial in Altona, electric vehicle charging stations are being installed at two additional locations in Hobsons Bay.
In August 2019, Hobsons Bay City Council installed an electric vehicle fast charging station at the Hobsons Bay Civic Centre with access for residents and visitors to recharge their cars. The charging station has been a success with 682 charging sessions delivering 11,405 kWh of charge to electric vehicles in the community.
Two further charging stations are now being installed, one at the Laverton Community Hub, which is complete, and the other at Nelson Place in Williamstown, which is scheduled for installation within the next three weeks. The charging stations feature two connectors meaning two vehicles can charge at once and they will be free to use for a trial period. The 22 kW AC charging stations can take three to four hours to fully charge a vehicle, depending on the vehicle and its battery.
The initiative aims to support the adoption of new transport technologies and reduce carbon emissions in line with Council’s target to achieve zero net emissions by 2030. As detailed in the Hobsons Bay Integrated Transport Plan 2017-30 and Council’s Community Greenhouse Strategy 2013-30, Council is committed to understanding, supporting and preparing for new and emerging transport models and technologies such as electric vehicles and reducing residential travel emissions.
Electric vehicles are a small but growing component of the vehicle market and we now have many local residents who own one. While currently costing more than an average car, Bloomberg Energy Finance estimates that electric and conventional vehicles will be of a similar price by 2025. Sales are estimated to reach 615,000 vehicles per year by 2030 or 49 per cent of annual new vehicle sales.
