Griffith City Council has resolved to accept a partnership proposal with Tesla Motors Australia, to provide two destination chargers for electric vehicles in Griffith.
The proposal was first presented to councils in 2018 as part of an Increasing Resilience to Climate Change strategy. Council has since been working on brokering a partnership with Tesla Motors.
Griffith Mayor, Councillor John Dal Broi welcomed the news, saying the installation of these charges will encourage Electric Vehicle (EV) Tourism in our City.
“Council staff have been working toward this partnership for some time, participating in an extensive campaign to promote EV tourism and transport across the region.”
“Electric powered vehicles are the way of the future and Council is now able to offer two charging stations which will be installed at the Griffith Visitor Information Centre,” Councillor Dal Broi said.
“Those with electric cars can now have the confidence to place Griffith on their itineraries, assisting with growing our tourism market and injecting more funds into the local economy – research shows that EV use in tourism positively impacts the environment and enhances sustainability for economic and social development.”
The partnership involves Tesla Motors supplying at cost two destination chargers which will be available for public use, with Council funding the installation ($10,000) and ensuing the maintenance and use of the chargers for a minimum of three years.
Current projections indicate EVs will account for 55% of new car sales by 2040 (BNEF 2018). There is also set to be a major shift in EV ownership from next year when more affordable models become available in Australia.
“Part of Council’s commitment to creating an environmentally sustainable city will be to seek ‘charging’ partners to join and extend the network, making it easier and more accessible for visitors and community members to charge their vehicles,” added Councillor Dal Broi.
