Over 40 new electric vehicle charging stations will be set up on the streets of Adelaide City this coming year; and EV owners will use them free of charge—yes you read that right; free!

Introduced by the Adelaide City Council, the charging stations will add to the four EV chargers that are already available in the CBD.

Adelaide’s Lord Mayor Martin Haese made the announcement at an Electric Vehicle Expo recently held at Elder Park, and which was organized by the Australian Electric Vehicle Association Inc. (AEVA).

“We want to be a smart city, we want to send a very clear signal to everyone that technology and the knowledge economy is important to our future,” stated  Lord Mayor Martin Haese.

“We believe electric vehicles do both.”

The Mayor said an estimated 700 electric and 22,000 hybrid vehicles had been registered in South Australia – and it’s likely that those numbers will increase exponentially.

The City Council of Adelaide is also offering attractive incentives for the installation of more chargers in the City’s area.

“Council’s Sustainability Incentives Scheme (SIS) also provides attractive financial incentives for residents and building owners to install EV charging points in their home or commercial premises. Even more good reasons to live, work and invest in the City of Adelaide!”added Lord Mayor Haese on his Facebook page.

The Sustainability Incentives Scheme offers financial support for a wide array of energy efficiency related projects including home and commercial solar.

  • $5,000 for installing solar panels
  • $5,000 for installing battery storage systems
  • $250 for each electric bicycle charging point
  • $1000 – $ 5,000 per electric vehicle charging point
  • $5,000 per financial year for apartment building energy efficiency upgrades
  • $1,000 for LED lighting upgrades
  • $1,000 for the installation of an energy monitoring system
  • $1,000 for solar hot water system installation
  • $2,500 for office tenants involved in CitySwitch who undertake a NABERS rating

According to Australian Solar Quotes, a solar PV range featuring 5.2kW of solar panels installed on any rooftop in Adelaide together with a battery system can offer the solar owner a financial benefit of up to $3,000 every year.

The City Council of Adelaide initiated the first energy storage incentives in Australia in June last year.