Driving the Nation: New focus and new funding
The Australian Government is turbo charging the rollout of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure under the Driving the Nation Fund.
The Driving the Nation Fund will provide $39.3 million of funding to the National Roads and Motorists’ Association (NRMA). The NRMA will match these funds to build 117 fast EV chargers at sites across Australia’s national highways. The infrastructure will better connect towns and cities with populations of more than 10,000 people.
In addition, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is backing the deployment, operation, and management of charging infrastructure through a new $70 million round of grants.
These are important steps towards enabling a transition to EVs and help:
- reach net zero by 2050
- lower greenhouse gas emissions
- improve health outcomes for the community through lower emissions
- lower transport costs
- create jobs in areas
- expand infrastructure supply chains.
The infrastructure will make it possible to drive from Darwin to Perth, Broken Hill to Adelaide, and Brisbane to Tennant Creek. The National Electric Vehicle Strategy (NEVS) consultations identified ‘range anxiety’ as a barrier to purchasing EVs. The expanded charging network will give motorists confidence that they can go away for the weekend.
The strategy will help make Australia a globally competitive market for EVs, with improved access to a broad range of affordable EV models, infrastructure in place to support EV use across the nation, and increased industry development.
Transport makes up 19% of Australia’s emissions. The Driving the Nation initiatives will help accelerate the decarbonisation of transport in Australia.
