$10m offered in grants for EV charging in strata

The NSW Government is launching $10 million in grants to retrofit more than 100 apartment buildings with the technology to enable electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.

And there’s a webinar scheduled for next week (November 15) where you can learn all you need to know about EV charging, safety and the two-stage grant application program.

The EV Ready Buildings grants program is intended to help eligible strata buildings with at least 10 apartments to install EV charging infrastructure in a common area.

New South Wales is the first state in Australia to co-fund apartment building EV infrastructure upgrades. It’s a recognition of the importance of investing in infrastructure for people who live in apartments and others without access to home charging, so they can still take advantage of the cost savings from owning an EV.

“More than 90% of EV drivers charge their vehicle at home, and we don’t want people living in apartments to miss out,” says Minister for Energy, Penny Sharpe.

“We’re investing $260 million in the 2023–24 NSW Budget, to cover programs including fast chargers on commuter routes, more kerbside chargers near apartment blocks and upgraded grid capacity and charging hubs to support fleets.”

Existing buildings will be retrofitted with the electrical infrastructure required to connect the supply equipment needed to charge a vehicle.

The grant program is open to strata buildings across metropolitan and regional New South Wales. It will co-fund up to 80% of the cost of each building upgrade, to a maximum of $80,000. It will also support the purchase and installation of up to four shared-use chargers in visitor parking spots.

The grants process has two stages. The first includes a preliminary building assessment to determine the best approach to making it EV ready. Successful applicants will then be invited to apply for stage two, which will co-fund the infrastructure upgrade.

You can register for the webinar, on November 15 at 10am, HERE.  Applications can be made through the online Grant Management System, SmartyGrants.