Popular electric car charge site to be closed during school holiday rush

09/19/2024 10:46 PM

A busy electric car charging site is set to go out of action for two weeks – during one of the busiest periods of the year.

The Chargefox station at Airport West near Melbourne will be shut down from 30 September to 14 October, making the site unavailable during the Victorian school holiday period.

At present, the site, based at the Westfield Airport West shopping centre, offers four 350kW ultra-rapid and two 50kW fast chargers.

While the replacement of the ageing chargers is set to be a good thing for electric car drivers, with this site – among many others – being often criticised for malfunctioning plugs, the timing is less than ideal.

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"The importance of this project cannot be overstated,” Chargefox CEO John Sullivan said in a statement.

“It will significantly improve the reliability and availability of chargers at critical locations in Victoria and demonstrates RACV's commitment to growing number of motorists transitioning from combustion engine cars to EVs."

The news comes as Melbourne Airport warns of delays of up to 30 minutes for travellers due to roadworks in the area, with more than 1.7 million people expected to go through the airport over the next two weeks.

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In addition to school holidays, the state will have an influx of travellers coming in this year for the AFL Grand Final on 28 September, with three out of the remaining four teams coming from interstate.

The upgrade at Airport West is part of a wider program of new technology, with the RACV unveiling new chargers at Ballarat last month

Other upcoming closures to Chargefox and RACV sites include Barnawartha, Euroa, Horsham and Torquay throughout September and October.

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