Faces of the Day

A new loan scheme to help fund public electric vehicle chargers is aiming to get more in the ground across the country.

Companies building EV chargers can currently apply for direct government grants to help pay for them, through a contestable fund, Transport Minister Chris Bishop said.

But the government is now putting $68.5 million in grant money towards interest-free loans instead.

“Concessionary loans will bring forward private investment in public EV charging infrastructure by lowering the cost of capital,” Bishop said. [...]

“Under the status quo, the private sector are reluctant to invest in charging infrastructure until there’s sufficient demand, but demand for charging won’t grow until the purchase of EVs stops being hampered by a lack of public charging.

“This chicken-and-egg situation is hampering the roll-out and justifies government action.” [...]

Climate Change Minister Simon Watts said boosting public charging infrastructure ahead of demand would give more people the confidence to choose an EV.

“There are real benefits to owning an EV. Not only does it support our economic and climate goals, but it also delivers long-term benefits to users by helping keep running costs low.” [...]

The chair of EV lobby group Drive Electric, Kirsten Corson said it was positive the government acknowledged the country needed more public chargers – but she doubted the loan scheme would make a significant difference. [...]

Bishop acknowledged it was an “ambitious” target, but said the government was looking at a range of changes to boost numbers.