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NRMA fast charging network
- Thread starter baillies
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- Australia New Zealand
Grenadine
Member
RareEarth
Member
Charging stations on long distance interstate routes like the Sturt Highway must have backup especially in the more far flung locations, this is not a day trip scenario where you charge up and head back to the city after browsing the shops. People will be lobbing into these places late at night in all sorts of weather. To find the only charger in town is inoperative and the phone help ineffective will not go down well (also having to wait 45 minutes for someone else to finish charging).
I pointed this out to the NRMA people at the EV Expo, I love what they are doing but I think they need to revisit places like Hay, Narrandera, Bega etc and add a second charger.
They also really need to consider Balranald, travelling west on the Hay Plains you can hit some pretty strong headwinds if there is a weather front coming through which will stretch most EVs range from Hay to Mildura.
I pointed this out to the NRMA people at the EV Expo, I love what they are doing but I think they need to revisit places like Hay, Narrandera, Bega etc and add a second charger.
They also really need to consider Balranald, travelling west on the Hay Plains you can hit some pretty strong headwinds if there is a weather front coming through which will stretch most EVs range from Hay to Mildura.
Candleflame
Active Member
agreed. When you roll in from the outback you usually arrive with <3% charge left. I remember when I arrived in Hughenden and all their 3 phase plugs weren't working. Luckely the last one I tried worked.
I mean you will never be stranded. Australia has 10A outlets everywhere but you will literally be stuck for over a day at that location.
I would say that having to stay a day when you planned for an hour is actually being stranded. It is not completely broken down, but your plans have gone completely out the window.
Grenadine
Member
Chuq
Active Member
It's a balancing act in that the more remote the route, the less commercially viable a second charger is - but the more vital a backup is. It's also doesn't protect against things that would affect both chargers, such as a localised power outage or backend communications being down (although good design would have that "fail open"). I read in the NRMA press release when Hay opened that they were considering a second charger there (I thought wtf, wouldn't they have done that from the start if that was the case? The civil works are half the cost). Hopefully they're considering that for the other locations through to Adelaide.
The backup doesn't need to be a 2nd DC fast charger either - it could be an AC charger. I understand the Electric Highway Tas sites are going to have 1x DC, 1x AC charger, and I think, a 15 amp power point (slow enough that allowing free access wouldn't be a imposte)
The backup doesn't need to be a 2nd DC fast charger either - it could be an AC charger. I understand the Electric Highway Tas sites are going to have 1x DC, 1x AC charger, and I think, a 15 amp power point (slow enough that allowing free access wouldn't be a imposte)
rohan_aus
Member
100% each NRMA site needs an AC backup, I raised this with them during an info session they held with AEVA in Sydney before they started and they didn't seem to think it was required. (P.S, nice to finally meet you the other week in Sydney!)
rohan_aus
Member
We've been surprised by a two station installation just off the freeway at Port Macquarie. What's interesting is it's literally across the road from the planned Chargefox 350kw site, which, in NSW is a partnership with NRMA... bit of a confusing one...
Photo from Plugshare
PlugShare - Find Electric Vehicle Charging Locations Near You
Photo from Plugshare
PlugShare - Find Electric Vehicle Charging Locations Near You
NRMA Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Network | The NRMA
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Mudgee
Cowra
Albury
Balranald
Port Mac
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Mudgee
Cowra
Albury
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Port Mac
Chuq
Active Member
I'm absolutely baffled as to why NRMA would have thought Albury was in need of even more fast chargers. Surely their limited resources would have been better spent elsewhere? Chargefox 22 km in one direction, Tesla, NRMA, Evie and (sigh) the tip within the cities themselves, and Holbrook NRMA 62 km north...
Is that the tip with a solar array on an old landfill and an electric garbage truck? Maybe the charger is mainly for the truck?
Tesla not relevant cause tesla only.
Chargefox one is Victoria.
Holbrook only close if that's the way you are going.
So, it will only be NRMA and Evie. NRMA will go more for city centre tourism stuff. Evie probably quick,highway type thing on the outskirts.
Chuq
Active Member
You've just eliminated 95% of the traffic that passes through Albury-Wodonga.
I'm sure the Evie station will be capable of handling the massive Falls-Creek-to-Wagga traffic!
RareEarth
Member
Past Bega and into Gippsland Vic is a fast charging desert, also the upper Murray area. So perhaps another couple of cross border raids by NRMA as they have done in Mildura - Cann River and Corryong.
??what? of course Evie will be on the Hume- my guess would be near the Ettaomogah Pub(or near the bp at Lavinton). I think the NRMA one will be right in Albury, near the community pizza oven would be great !!
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