visit raa.com.au
A record number of EV charging sessions were powered by the RAA Charge network during the Easter and Gather Round period, which saw a wave of EV drivers head to South Australia’s regions.
In the two weeks between 28 March and 10 April, the RAA Charge network sparked 3,234 charging sessions – a 48% increase on the fortnightly average.
Of the huge number of charging sessions, around 28% were performed by drivers from interstate – up significantly from the usual 15-17%.
RAA Program Director EV Charging Andrew Howard said the RAA Charge network was helping to open up South Australia’s key tourism regions to EV drivers.
“EV drivers now have the confidence to take to our state’s iconic regions – thanks in large part to the RAA Charge network,” Mr Howard said.
“So far we’ve installed more than 125 charging sites across all areas of the state, and once complete the network with comprise 140 sites and more than 530 charging bays.
“Demand for our network has been steadily increasing as chargers are installed, and we saw a real spike over the Easter and Gather Round period which brought many EV drivers here from interstate.
“Our busiest regional charging sites were those in Mt Barker, Victor Harbor, Bordertown and Port Wakefield – with our busiest overall site being at Franklin St in the city.”
Mr Howard said the network had capacity to deal with more demand as EV uptake increases.
“We know availability of charging infrastructure can be a barrier for people thinking of making the switch to an electric vehicle, but the number of available chargers is increasing by the week.
“The RAA Charge network is an important first step in providing that infrastructure here in SA, with locations chosen strategically along key tourism corridors.
“For those driving to and from Melbourne, in the South East we have Rapid and Ultra-Rapid sites operational at Bordertown, Naracoorte, Kingston and Mt Gambier – with more sites soon to come online at Coonalpyn, Meningie and Tailem Bend.
“We encourage EV drivers to use the Chargefox app to check for charging sites along their route, because some car manufacturers’ in-built mapping software is still being updated to include our network.
“Once complete, 98% of our chargers will be located within 200km of another – making range anxiety a thing of the past.”
The RAA Charge network is being rolled out with the support of a $12.35 million grant provided by the Government of South Australia.
To learn more about the network, visit www.raa.com.au/charge