FAQs

The number of electric vehicles on our roads is rapidly increasing as EV adoption becomes mainstream.

While most charging will occur at home or in the workplace, some dwellings do not have suitable access to off-street parking.  These residents, visitors and essential vehicle users like delivery or carshare drivers rely on public EV chargers.

EV chargers can be installed by councils however are most commonly installed by the private sector.   Some installations may require council approval such as those on public land (i.e. the street).  When installing EV chargers to be used on public land, private installers may put a request to council to update the parking restrictions to EV charging only.

The costs of installation and maintenance of public EV chargers can be recovered by introducing a charging fee.  In this way, the overall cost to the installer (whether it be Council or private) is minimal.  In some instances, public EV chargers can even generate revenue.

Absolutely.  Petrol stations are a convenient location for EV chargers, particularly fast chargers.  Fast chargers allow you to fill up in a short period and a driver would usually stay with their car for this time.  EV chargers at petrol stations will be managed by the private sector.   

Fast charging, however, is just one of the charging options available.  One key benefit of EVs is you may be able to do your day-to-day drive without the need for a dedicated stop to fill up.  Home charging coupled with good destination charging coverage means drivers can top up where they would usually stop anyway.   Destination chargers are usually slower chargers, where a driver plugs in for a few hours and leaves the car to explore.   These slower chargers are cheaper and easier to install than fast chargers and are best located close to attractions and amenities, areas often managed by local councils.    

Usually, there is no removal of parking spaces, only a change in the parking restriction.

A loss of available parking is a common apprehension from the community.  This is a valid concern and Council will balance the considerations of EV and non-EV drivers within the community.  Council will consider the uptake rates of EVs and the percentage of available parking.  To put it into context, a recent audit of Grafton counted 1,801 public car spaces roughly within the Commercial zone.   If 15 parking spaces were updated to “EV charging only” that would account for less than 1% of the available parking.  It’s also important to remember EVs are already using public car spaces.  EV charging will affect where EVs park, but it is unlikely to impact the overall availability of parking.

Most commonly when an EV charger is installed the adjacent parking bays have the parking restrictions updated to “EV charging only”.  This facilitates the most effective use of the charger by preventing all vehicles from parking if not charging.  Charging is typically displayed with a connected charging cable.  As with all parking restrictions noncompliance could incur a fine (Disobey No Parking).

To find out more about the different types of chargers visit Transport NSW: Charging an electric vehicle

Charging station locations are selected to maximise usage and community benefit. Some of the following factors are considered when selecting sites:

•  Availability of electrical infrastructure, parking spaces, lighting and footpath space.
• Access to nearby toilets, shops, beaches, parks.
• Locations of other public charging stations.

Public chargers are  available for anyone to use. Users may have to pay to use a charger.

Usually EV charging stations are connected to the grid.

To see existing charger locations, check out:

• Transport NSW - Australian electric vehicle charging map
• Plugshare

Clarence Valley Council will continue to assess all areas based on need, private sector assets and government funding opportunities.