South Australia now has more public fast chargers per registered EV than any mainland state thanks to the roll out of the RAA Charge network, a new national report has found.
The Public Fast Charger Network Report by consultancy Next System, found 397 electric vehicle charging sites were built in Australia during 2023, and forecasts 900 new charging sites could be expected this year.
In South Australia, RAA Charge installed the most fast chargers of all network operators in 2023, with 66 new charging bays installed.
RAA Chief Executive Officer Nick Reade said “RAA is incredibly proud to be leading the charge when it comes to installing public fast chargers throughout South Australia.
“In 2023, we installed a total of 105 charging sites and 345 bays – including 77 Destination charging sites not featured in the report.
“The RAA Charge network is now more than 75% complete, and we’re on track to have all 140 charging sites installed this year.”
The report shows RAA now holds the market share of public fast charging infrastructure in South Australia, operating 37% of all fast chargers in the state, followed by Jolt and Tesla.
Across all networks, there are currently 130 public fast chargers in South Australia compared to 70 chargers this time last year.
This brings the total number of fast chargers per 1000 EVs in SA to 18.9 – the highest EV to charger ratio of any mainland state.
“We know the lack of charging infrastructure in SA has been a major barrier for South Aussies considering buying an EV, but this is certainly starting to change.” Mr Reade said.
In 2023, there were 5142 new battery electric and plug in hybrid electric vehicles sold in SA according to the Australian Automobile Association’s EV Index, representing 6.8% of all new car sales compared to 2.7% in 2022.
“The transition to electric vehicles is well and truly here, and the growth of charging infrastructure has to keep up,” Mr Reade said.
“As more and more people choose to drive electric cars we need to make sure our regions are not left behind; that’s why 75% of the RAA Charge network will be installed in regional areas.”
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
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