Drivers will be able to eat, drink and gaze their way along electric vehicle-specific tourist drives once hundreds of destinations chargers are rolled out across New South Wales.
At least 1,500 destination chargers are expected to be established in tourist hotspots to boost charging infrastructure in regional towns.
Wineries, restaurants, zoos and museums are among the businesses and council areas being offered 75% off the cost of setting up chargers.
Once the chargers are rolled out, a series of EV tourist drives will be developed to promote electric travel across NSW.
The $10m government program coincides with electric vehicles making up 10.6% of new passenger and SUV car sales this year.
But recent research suggests those numbers would accelerate if consumer concerns about the number of chargers were alleviated.
The premier, Chris Minns, will launch the program on Friday from the mid-north coast, beyond the limit of most electric cars’ battery range.
“Providing EV charging plugs at regional destinations across our state will help make ‘range anxiety’ a concern of the past and give more drivers the confidence to make EV purchases,” he said in a statement.
“More EVs on the roads is an important part of the decarbonisation of our transport system and essential to meeting our net zero by 2050 target.”
The program is part of the state’s strategy to have EVs make up more than half of all car sales by 2031.
“Increasing the number of EV chargers across regional NSW is a win for the environment, a win for EV drivers, a win for tourists and a win for regional businesses,” the energy minister, Penny Sharpe, said in a statement.
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Regional businesses and councils, including those in Newcastle and Wollongong, can apply for help with up to four chargers from Friday afternoon.
The program is part of a $209m investment in NSW charging infrastructure, including $10m to retrofit apartments with EV chargers and $149m for ultra-fast charging infrastructure.
An additional $260m in the budget will underpin the rollout of a new statewide EV strategy.
However, the investments come at the cost of up to $5,540 in bonuses for those switching to electric.
An exemption from stamp duty for vehicles priced under $78,000 and a $3,000 rebate for new EVs will be cut from 1 January.
Those who have bought, or have put a deposit down before year-end, can still access the bonuses regardless of when delivery occurs.