Motoring group RAA has announced a 200kW super site with eight charging bays in Port Pirie, South Australia.
Part of its first two planned super sites in the RAA Charge network, the new covered site is located seven kilometres off the Augusta Highway at the Port Pirie Regional Arts and Tourism Centre.
The 200kW ultra-rapid charging hub is designed to enable electric vehicle drivers traveling to the far north and Eyre Peninsula to charge in 10 to 40 minutes, RAA said in a statement.
The new charging hub will officially be launched at a free community event on Saturday, where RAA experts will answer questions about the network, EVs, and solar and battery technology.
The other super site will be announced in South Australia’s South East later this month.
RAA CEO Nick Reade said the charging hubs will be “significantly larger” than most sites in the company’s charge network, with up to nine bays located along key destination routes providing travellers with fast charging facilities.
So far, RAA has delivered 131 EV charging sites out of the planned 140-site network.
According to Reade, EV drivers will be able to “safely stretch their legs away from the bustle of the highway and recharge” while exploring Port Pirie because of the strategic location.
The RAA charge network is scheduled to be completed this year with over 530 charging bays across 140 charging sites. About 75% of those sites are in regional areas.
Reade noted that one of the objectives in delivering the RAA charge network is to “drive investment and help attract tourism” in regional towns, something that they have started seeing.
During the Easter and Gather Round period, EV drivers headed to RAA regions, with a 17% spike in interstate visitors using the charge network, Reade said.
Tom Koutsantonis, minister for energy and mining, commented on the announcement, saying Pirie is the perfect place for travellers to recharge and support local businesses at the same time.
Port Pirie Regional Council Mayor Leon Stephens also said that the city is “proud to work with RAA” to become part of South Australia’s largest EV charging network.
The announcement comes after RAA completed the installation of three new EV charging sites at North Shields, Port Lincoln, and Coffin Bay, completing the Eyre Peninsula stretch of its EV charging network.
