A central location to charge electric vehicles efficiently has been called the start of "something really fantastic" for Albury.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The NRMA officially launched its 28th NSW fast charging station on Wednesday on the second level of the Kiewa Street car park.
Executive general manager of motoring Nell Payne said the charger continued the association's Hume Highway route, with an earlier installation at Holbrook.
"Obviously in big metro areas, it's a lot easier to justify the investment of a fast charger but we want to make sure that regional Australia doesn't miss out," she said.
Ms Payne told listeners more than 85 per cent of domestic tourism was by car and Albury sat on a major commuter route.
"We want to make certain the road trip is a thing of the future and places like Albury get to benefit from all of the tourism dollars we can lay our hands on," she said.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Albury deputy mayor Amanda Cohn said the council took pride in the city centre's inaugural fast charging station.
"I think this is the first step for something really fantastic for Albury," she said.
"It's convenient for people to use whether they're passing through Albury on a road trip or whether they're people that work every day in the CBD."
The new station aims to suit all electric vehicles, allowing them to charge in about 30 minutes, and is free for all motorists at this stage.
The NRMA said standard public EV chargers took between three and six hours and traditional power outlets could take more than 12 hours.
A council charging station is located at Albury Waste Management Centre while a Tesla station opened at Wodonga in 2015.
Ms Payne said some motorists were hesitant to buy an electric vehicle because of "range anxiety".
"Our aim is that 95 per cent of member journeys are within 150 kilometres of one of our charging stations so they can charge quickly and safely without having to worry about time spent waiting," she said.
"Plug it in, normally rule of thumb is to charge to about 80 per cent, because that's getting much more life out of the batteries and it takes roughly half an hour, 45 minutes, to go from low charge to 80 per cent.
"Comparing an 'e-litre' to a petrol litre ... depending on where you charge, it can be as little as 30 cents for the equivalent of a petrol distance travelled."
Cr Cohn said there were no imminent plans to install further fast charging stations in Albury.
"I think looking at the projected growth of EVs, there is going to be demand for more chargers and we'll need to look at where the most convenient spots are to put those," she said.