Aussie electric car owners suffer 'range anxiety' from not enough charging outlets

With a global rush to electric cars, including here in Australia, the Federal government wants more fast charging stations, especially in close proximity to bigger population centres.

Electric car users in country areas will have to wait for future rounds of public funding.

Further research is needed "to sharpen the focus" on charging needs in country areas to remove blackspots "to help increase consumer choice in these areas", the government said in a statement this week.

While there already are a large number of commercial charging stations already operating around Australia, the government has pinpointed blackspot areas.

It is these blackspots which create "anxiety" among car owners.

Click here for a map of electric vehicle charging outlets already available.

Electric cars currently have a range of between 350km-550km.

Car owners want to know there is a fast charging station on their journey which can give them a full charge in less than hour.

Various governments are also weighing in on the rush to electric.

The Queensland government has funded the installation of fast chargers between Coolangatta and Cairns and between Brisbane and Toowoomba.

The Victorian and NSW governments have also committed money to co-invest in new charging stations.

The Federal government is spending $16.5 million through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency's $71.9 million Future Fuels Fund to relieve some of these "barriers to the roll out of new vehicle technologies".

Municipal councils have been invited to get involved in this latest rollout to make sure they are within reach of the new vehicles.

This first round of funding will expand the network of electric vehicle public fast charging infrastructure to expand the network and reduce blackspots.

These fast charging stations (50 kW and above) have been earmarked for eight geographic areas including each Australian capital city, alongside large regional centres including Newcastle, Wollongong, the NSW Central Coast, Geelong, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.

Each regional location is expected to receive at least four fast charging stations.

Each geographic zone includes a population over 200,000 (with the exception of Darwin), and the zones are spread across all states and territories, and together, cover about 80 per cent of Australia's population.

The government says "further research and consultation will also look to sharpen the focus on regional charging needs and blackspots to help increase consumer choice in these areas.

More reading: Vehicle manufacturers in race take advantage of electric car market.

To understand the size of these regional locations, in Adelaide the zone runs from Gawler, Elizabeth, Mt Barker and McLaren Vale.

Companies in the business of providing these outlets can apply for the funds and be given two years to build them.

The governments wants successful applicants to maximise geographic coverage to reduce blackspots.

The outlets are to be powered by renewable energy or with the use of Green Certificates.

The government says future rounds of the fund later in the year will expand into future fuels including hydrogen and biofuels, "as well as reducing barriers for other road transport users such as commercial fleets, trucks and buses".

ARENA chief executive Darren Miller said the funding would help businesses and regional communities take advantage of opportunities offered by new vehicle technologies across battery electric, hydrogen fuel cell and biofuels.

"Through this initial round, we are addressing one of the barriers to roll out of new vehicle technologies by significantly increasing the number of fast charging stations available to consumers across Australia, and reducing charging blackspots in both metropolitan and regional centres," Mr Miller said.

ARENA said industry consultation identified a lack of public fast charging in major population centres was a key barrier to uptake of battery electric vehicles for both the public and fleets.

Applications for the opening round close on April 6.