Singleton’s electric vehicle (EV) charging network is continuing to grow, with two new 22 kW pole-based chargers installed and ready to use in Singleton Town Centre.

Located at 4 York Street and 259 John Street, the chargers were provided by EVX and funded under the Australian Government's Driving the Nation program delivered by ARENA (Australian Renewable Energy Agency).

Mary-Anne Crawford, Singleton Council’s Manager Community Growth + Evolution said Council proposed the locations for the chargers with a view to building on the appeal of the town centre to EV drivers.

“EVX then did an assessment based on their own objectives including the proximity to community facilities, playgrounds, cafes and other businesses, before they went to Ausgrid to understand the capability of the power supply at the proposed locations,” she said.

“The opportunity to apply to EVX under the Driving the Nation program is a great way to build our community’s EV charging infrastructure using the expertise and experience of private providers backed by government funding, with Council’s contribution to install signage and line marking.

“We’re extremely pleased that these locations were successful, and we’re looking forward to continuing to work with EVX and ARENA on the possibility for more EV chargers to be installed across our local government area.”

Mrs Crawford said an existing charger on Castlereagh Street, Singleton installed under the first round of the Driving the Nation program had proved to be popular with EV drivers during business hours from Monday to Friday.

Each EV charger has outlets for two vehicles at a time.

“The data is showing us that there is demand for EV chargers in the town centre and usage points to people who may be travelling to Singleton for work,” Mrs Crawford said.

“But as EV ownership continues to grow, we know that the availability of EV chargers will be a factor when people are planning holidays or road trips.

“As well as meeting our community’s desire for a more sustainable focus for our environment at the local level, we want the Singleton LGA to be a natural destination for visitors with similar values and, on a practical level, because they know they can depend on a reliable network of EV chargers.

“With the Singleton bypass due to open later this year, this is a great way to encourage people to turn off to enjoy all our town centre has to offer including boutique shopping, great coffee and a wide range of dining options, as well as to charge up.”

Image: Singleton Council's Coordinator Sustainable Services Chiala Hernandez Silva at the new EV charger at York Street.