The Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station in the Council carpark in Mullumbimby has been upgraded with a new 22kW AC charger that can now charge two cars at once, Byron Shire Council announced this week.
“We’ve observed greater demand for the EV Charging station in Mullumbimby and wanted to offer a better product that can be used by more customers,” said Council’s Sustainability Team Leader, Julia Curry.
“Electric Vehicles are part of our future and Byron Shire Council has been proactive in its investment in technology and infrastructure to support this smart energy solution.
“The trade-off is that we’re charging $0.20 per kWh so that we can keep the facility up-to-date and working properly which we think is very reasonable considering charging at home normally costs around $0.25 to $0.30 kWh,” she said.
It is estimated the transport sector contributes about 20% of the state’s total greenhouse gases and is the second-biggest contributor to carbon emissions after coal-generated electricity.
“Providing renewable energy for vehicles is one way we can make a real difference,” said Ms Curry.
The upgraded EV charging station at Mullumbimby is now on the Chargefox network and customers will need to use the Chargefox app or card to gain access.
“The Byron Fast DC charger located at the Byron Library has been having issues and is being sent back to the manufacturers factory in Brisbane for assessment and fixing,” Ms Curry said.
“The repairs are expected to take two months so we’re hoping to have the Byron fast DC charger back in action in June,” she said.