REGIONAL SA could soon become a key tourism point in electric car tourism, with a push to install more charging points in rural areas.
Tesla is looking for local business and councils to install an additional 50 destination charging sites across the state, adding to the existing network of 50 stations and three SuperCharger Stations at Keith, Clare and in Adelaide.
Premier Jay Weatherill said this, alongside last week’s launch of the world’s biggest battery at Jamestown, would help boost the state’s green credentials.
“Hosting a destination charging site provides an opportunity for councils and local businesses such as hotels, to attract a captive audience for hours on end,” he said.
While SuperCharger Stations can charge Tesla vehicles in 30 minutes, the proposed destination chargers take several hours to re-power vehicles, with the state government saying this would secure visitors for an extended period of time, leading to longer tourism stays.
“In what would be a boost to regional tourism, Tesla owners will map their travel against the location of charging sites, spending several hours in a destination spending valuable tourism dollars,” Mr Weatherill said.
The Adelaide, Clare Country Club, Keith and Horsham, Vic, Tesla SuperCharger Stations already form an 865 kilometre link from Adelaide to Melbourne and the Tesla supercharger network that extends to Brisbane.
The government will support the release of an Expression of Interest by Tesla in the coming days, which invites organisations to host a site.
These will be chosen in January, ahead of a February start for installations, based on services offered at the site and their contribution to the statewide charging network.
Sites will generally host two Tesla Wall Connectors provided free of charge by Tesla. The service is to be free for Tesla customers.
The government believes demand for charging stations is expected to grow significantly in the next five to 10 years as more affordable and longer driving range electric vehicle models such as the Tesla Model 3 enter the Australian marketplace.