The project comes as part of the Charging The Regions project, run by the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance in partnership with the Victorian Government and local councils across the state.
Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning programming manager for community and partnerships Geoff Caine announced that the 17 charging stations would "better link towns across Victoria, encourage more visitors from Melbourne to the Loddon Mallee region and ensure regional Victorians are not left behind in the transition to EVs".
It is hoped the charging station will lead to a tourism and economic boost for the area, with more people able to travel and stay without the "range anxiety" that electric vehicle owners can experience when travelling long distances without a source for power.
“An EV owner can easily find the location of destination chargers online and plan accordingly.”
Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance chief executive Rob Law said the charging network wiould "prepare the area for the uptake of EVs well into the future".
Environmental impacts and emissions reductions are a key part of the electric vehicle movement, and the project hopes to boost the interest in purchasing electric cars over their petrol-fuelled counterparts for locals.
“As we expect more and more EVs to hit the road in the coming years, we want to make sure Campaspe Shire is not left behind,” Mayor Chrissy Weller said.
The charging sites were chosen based on distance between other chargers in the network, proximity to amenities, electrical supply and travel routes.
The Victorian Government has contributed $664,000 towards the Charging The Regions project, and has also announced a $100 million package to "accelerate the adoption of EVs".
The charging station is located in the car park in High St, Echuca, and will be free to use until July 1 after which users will be charged 40c/kWh — an average of $10 to $15 per charging session, depending on the vehicle.
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