The City of Greater Bendigo has installed two new electric vehicle charging stations at the Queen Elizabeth Oval car park as part of the 'Charging the Regions' program.
The Charging the Region's program includes the construction of 23 new electric vehicle stations mainly in north west Victoria at 21 sites to help boost tourism, create jobs and reduce emissions. The project is being delivered by the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance (CVGA), Victorian Government and 13 local Councils, including the City of Greater Bendigo.
City of Greater Bendigo Climate Change and Environment Manager Michelle Wyatt said the two new public 60W fast EV charging stations which are located in the QEO Car Park near the rear of the Capital Theatre, allow four cars to charge at the same time and feature fast charging technology that permits most battery electric vehicles (BEVs) to fully recharge within one to two hours.
"The fee to recharge has been set at 40 cents per kilowatt hour to cover the costs of energy bills to the City in line with other fast chargers around the country," Ms Wyatt said.
"The City is committed to building a cleaner, more sustainable future for our community and we are delighted to be part of the Charging the Regions program, as it has a positive impact on our environment, reduces emissions and creates new and exciting opportunities for Greater Bendigo.
"Being part of this network ensures that central Victoria stays ahead of the game as more and more EVs hit the road and our infrastructure allows us to respond to growing demand.
"This is a great stimulus that will in turn help boost jobs, develop a new targeted EV tourism market and encourage people who live in regional Victoria to consider 'going electric' too when they are looking at a car purchase in the future.
"The location of the stations in the heart of the city centre was identified for other benefits too. It means that while a car is charging, visitors can spend more time in the city centre visiting nearby attractions, browsing at the shops or enjoying a meal."
