Drivers can now travel from Sydney to the NSW outback in electric vehicles after the final piece of the network of fast chargers along the Barrier Highway was switched on.
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Transport for NSW and the NRMA are also providing electric chargers for other routes connecting NSW with Victoria, Queensland and South Australia.
NSW Deputy Premier Paul Toole said the chargers at Wilcannia and Cobar in the far west now form part of the 20 sites rolling out across the regions.
It's part of a $3 million partnership between the NSW government and the NRMA to deliver the country's biggest network of EV charging stations.
Chargers are now operating along the Barrier Highway, at Wilcannnia, Cobar, Dubbo, Parkes, Orange and Lithgow.
"It means drivers travel no more than 300km to recharge their vehicles when making the 1000km journey between Sydney and Broken Hill," Mr Toole said on Monday.
Fast chargers can charge a vehicle in 30 minutes and are located in the heart of each country town.
"These charging stations are transforming the way EV drivers move around, helping to support tourism in regional centres along the Barrier, New England, Sturt, Hume, Newell and Kamilaroi highways," he said.
When the network is completed by 2023, most EV drivers will be no more than 150km from a charging station.
EV drivers will be able to travel to Broken Hill, Moree and Bourke, and link up with major routes in Queensland, Victoria and South Australia.
Energy Minister Matt Kean said the government was co-investing a further $171 million in charging infrastructure "so drivers can be confident they can drive their EVs whenever and wherever they want to".
Australian Associated Press
