Electric vehicle charges would be mounted on power poles and kerbsides across Hobart under a new proposal from a deputy lord mayoral candidate.
It’s been welcomed by an industry expert as offering a commonsense solution to addressing the need for EV infrastructure amid rising customer demand.
Hobart Deputy Lord Mayor Zelinda Sherlock wants the council and Tasnetworks to commit to a collaborative pilot program testing pole-mounted or other kerbside charging options on streets where off-street parking was limited.
Dr Sherlock said the model would expand EV accessibly for people who were prevented from installing their own charging stations at home, including residents in apartments, rentals, and older inner-city homes.
“If we can make EV charging more accessible while protecting our streets and public spaces, Hobart will be better placed to deliver a transport transition that is both environmentally responsible and socially fair,” she said.
Greens MLC Cassy O’Connor said the trial was well-suited to Hobart given its heritage streetscapes, narrow footpaths, existing parking pressures and existing electricity infrastructure.
A similar initiative was rolled out in New South Wales earlier this year.
Clive Attwater, founding member of the Tasmania branch of the Australian Electric Vehicle Association (AEVA), said results from that trial showed the model provided a “commonsense” way to improve and expand EV infrastructure.
“If there’s a power point on the kerbside, drivers would only need to use it overnight maybe once or twice a week, so it’s not like you have a queue of people waiting there,” he said.
“This could mean charges could also be used by nearby shoppers or visitors.”
But he said a “sustainable” model depended on power companies renting poles to private operators. He said this would preserve market competition and ensure there was a “strong commercial incentive” to undertake the maintenance required to keep the charges working.
It comes as more Tasmanian drivers make the switch to EVs – a trend that spiked earlier this year due to rising fuel prices.
Mr Attwater said rising numbers across Tasmania meant the need for investment into associated EV infrastructure was an inevitability, with the proposed model offering a “sensible investment” that could also help end “consumer inertia”.
“The cheapest new car to buy in Australia today is the electric car,” he said.
“The unfamiliarity and resistance to change will gradually erode as there’s more EVs in the community, and it’s now going along at the pace that you couldn’t stop it.
“It’s simply a matter of time before people gradually adopt EVs, and we see from our sales that changing from a petrol or diesel vehicle to an EV is a one-way street.”
Extracted in full from: https://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/power-poles-could-host-electric-vehicle-chargers-under-proposed-hobart-street-trial/news-story/49b1c32fd48fece2bf0553c2cc423dbf
