Queensland launches new electric super highway

The Queensland government will invest $3 million rolling out electric car charging stations between the Gold Coast and Cairns to promote green technology.

Touted as ‘Queensland’s electric super highway’, the infrastructure project was announced on Thursday by Queensland Environment Minister and Acting Main Roads Minister Steven Miles, who declared the move the beginning of Queensland’s “EV revolution”.

Under the plan, the government will install electric vehicle charging stations at 18 Queensland locations, essentially making it possible to drive from the NSW border to the state’s far north.

Use of the charging stations will be free to the consumer for the first 12 months, the government has confirmed. The scheme largely mirrors Tesla’s existing supercharger network along the Australian eastern seaboard.

Charging stations will be installed at locations including Cairns, Tully, Townsville, Bowen, Mackay, Carmila, Marlborough, Rockhampton, Miriam Vale, Childers, Maryborough, Cooroy, Brisbane, Helensvale, Coolangatta, Springfield, Gatton and Toowoomba.

“This project is ambitious, but we want as many people as possible on board the electric vehicle revolution, as part of our transition to a low emissions future,” Miles said.

"Today I’m announcing the first 18 towns and cities that make up phase one of the Electric Super Highway and will, once operational in the next six months, make it possible to drive an electric vehicle from the state’s southern border to the Far North.

"They will be available for use at no cost for the initial phase of the super highway so we can encourage as many people as possible to start using them.”

The government said the new charging stations would be both environmentally sustainable and practical for motorists, using green energy purchased through green energy credits or offsets.

Exact charging times and availability are set to be outlined ahead of the rollout.

"The most recent Queensland Household Energy Survey showed that 50% of Queenslanders will consider an electric vehicle, plug-in hybrid or regenerative braking hybrid, when purchasing a new car in the next two years and that majority said improvements to public fast-charging infrastructure would further tempt them into purchasing an EV,” he said.

Stakeholders have encouraged other state governments to follow suit and embrace electric vehicle technology. The rollout comes despite little to no current consumer incentives from Australian governments to purchase electric vehicles over traditional internal combustion vehicles.