If you feel like you’re seeing more electric vehicles (EVs) around town, you’re not imagining it.
Some belong to visitors travelling through the region, but many are now owned by local residents. EV registrations across our local government area have been rising quickly in recent years, reflecting a broader shift happening across NSW.
Electric Vehicle Registrations across the Mid North Coast
EV registration data from the State government revealed that Electric Vehicle (EV) registrations in our Local Government Area (LGA) have increased significantly.
The data shows steady growth in EV registrations, with Port Macquarie Hastings among the regional areas seeing strong uptake. As more drivers make the switch, access to convenient charging infrastructure becomes increasingly important.
Charging Options in Port Macquarie
To support this growing demand, Port Macquarie Hastings Council applied for NSW Government funding to install public EV destination chargers.
Four 22kW charging points are now available in Port Macquarie. These chargers are located within walking distance of several key community facilities, including the library, pool, shops, cafes, local beaches and other attractions – meaning drivers can charge their vehicle while enjoying everything the town centre has to offer.
Charger usage data
The chargers operate on a user-pays basis at 30 cents per kWh and use 100% GreenPower accredited renewable electricity.
Over the past year, the chargers delivered more than 27 megawatt hours (MWh) of energy through hundreds of charging sessions.
Usage trends vary month to month, often increasing during holiday periods when more visitors travel through the region.
Trialling new types of kerbside charging
Council has also supported Essential Energy to trial innovative EV charging options in regional areas.
Two local pilot projects were tested:
- 7kW light pole charger in Port Macquarie
- 22kW power pole charger in Kew
These trials explored how existing street infrastructure could support EV charging without needing large standalone charging stations.
The results are now available through Essential Energy’s community engagement website. The trials have helped demonstrate that kerbside charging could play an important role in expanding EV infrastructure in regional communities.
The success of the trials also helped secure support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to continue developing integrated charging solutions that could be rolled out more widely across regional towns
Supporting the transition to electric transport
As EV adoption grows, charging infrastructure will continue to expand across the region. Initiatives like destination chargers and kerbside trials help ensure residents and visitors can travel confidently while supporting the transition to lower-emission transport.
You can read more about the kerbside charging trial here.
