Forbes ideal location for car charging station

The charge station was installed at Girragirra a couple of weeks ago and is now the furthest electric recharge station west of Sydney.

While it is yet to be used, the Muffets can see the advantages of offering it to their guests in keeping with their principles of sustainability.

“We see it as an opportunity,” Wendy said.

“It’s a neat fit with our business model which is all about sustainable living.”

Girragirra was offered the opportunity to install a charging station for their guests by Airbnb, who have partnered with Tesla, one of the leading electric vehicle companies in the world.

“Airbnb have partnered with Tesla to get these charge stations out there,” Wendy said.

“It’s a brilliant bit of marketing.

“They provided us with the unit and we provided the install costs.”

Girragirra can now offer its guests a free charge with their domestic charge station.

Guests will be able to fully charge their car overnight which would get them about 400 to 500 kilometres, depending on the model of the car. 

This service would be provided to guests for free using the power from Girragirra’s solar array, so they are not using up electricity to recharge a car.

“We’re generating energy and are happy to share it with our guests as a free service,” Wendy said.

“What it isn’t costing in electricity, it’s also not costing the environment.

“We have 100 per cent renewable power that we’re offering our customers.”

The Muffets share Tesla’s philosophy of ‘build it and they will come’.

In October this year Tesla opened supercharger stations in Goulburn and Wodonga, VIC to enable Model S electric car owners to travel the whole way between Sydney and Melbourne with just two stops to refuel.

At a commercial supercharger like the one at Goulburn, customers can get a 50 per cent charge in 20 minutes or a full charge in one hour for free as Tesla pays for the power.

A full charge at one of these stations would also get people a range of 400 to 500 kilometres depending on the model.

This means it is currently possible to drive an electric car all the way to Forbes from Sydney or Goulburn.

Tesla are now looking at connecting Melbourne to Brisbane and the Muffets can see the benefits of Forbes Shire Council investing in a supercharger station, which costs between $250,000 to $500,000.

“We are bang on the Melbourne to Brisbane track,” Wendy said.

“If Forbes does not pick this up and run with it, somebody else will and that is where those people will stay.

“We can see the potential for Forbes to be proactive.

“We do get guests travelling that Melbourne to Brisbane track and they choose to stay with us for all sorts of reason and this is just one more reason. For the town I think it has enormous potential.”

Wendy believes this is the way of the future and said it makes sense for Forbes to jump on board and be ahead of the game.

“It has taken off. In America it’s big,” Wendy said.

“It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when. People are buying [electric cars] now, they’re being sold in Australia.

“At the moment, the car is reasonably expensive but in a few years it’ll be the norm. It’s very exciting.

“Why not be on the front foot with technology that is definitely coming at us?”

In the October 2015 business paper, Forbes Shire Council’s environment advisory committee suggested that council approach Tesla to make enquiries as to the feasibility of providing a refuelling station in Forbes. 

In their report they said “the development of a Tesla charging station in Forbes would be advantageous in encouraging owners of electric cars to visit Forbes to stop and refuel”.

Council’s director of tourism, community and cultural development, Richard Morgan can see the benefits of getting a supercharger station in Forbes but said they would need to look into it further.

“We’re at the furthest point from Sydney at the moment,” he said.

“We have to make sure there’s enough recharging stations between here and Penrith so we need to do our research first.”

Mr Morgan has visited the Goulburn supercharger site and said it is “fantastic”.

“It is the way of the future,” he said.

For now, Wendy and Kim Muffet are looking forward to the day when a guest can use the charge station.

“We’re excited to have it here and excited to be able to offer our guests that service,” Wendy said.

“We’re busting for someone to come and plug in. We’re ready and waiting.”

Goulburn supercharging station on 'electric highway'

The installation of the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest Tesla Supercharger station in Goulburn is the first step in creating an ‘electric highway’ between Sydney and Canberra. 

That’s the aim of The Goulburn Group, who have long pushed for the eight chargers in Goulburn - the first outside a metropolitan area in Australia. 

And the recent simultaneous official opening of additional Tesla chargers in Albury could see that electric highway stretching down the Hume to Melbourne. 

The Goulburn Supercharger was officially opened at the Visitor Information Centre in Sloane St at the start of October, as part of an agreement between Tesla Motors and Goulburn Mulwaree Council. 

Tesla Motors leases the eight car spaces from Goulburn Mulwaree Council and pays for the electricity supply to charge compatible vehicles. 

For Goulburn Group member Alex Ferrara, while there were a number of factors which led to the chargers coming to Goulburn, it was the city’s location that sealed the deal. 

“Geographically, it makes complete sense for Goulburn to have electric vehicle charging stations, because it’s at that sweet spot between Sydney and Canberra,” Mr Ferrara said. 

“Having more electric vehicle charging stations opens the door to more sustainable transport. 

“The reason we identified Sydney to Canberra is that Sydney has the highest population in the state, and Canberra has the largest number of electric vehicles registered in any city in Australia. 

“Connecting those two seemed like a no-brainer.” 

Fellow Goulburn Group member Peter Fraser predicts a “huge shift” towards electric vehicles over the next five years. He compared the introduction of electric cars to “the end of the horse and buggy days”. 

“In a sense, what’s happening over the next five years is the same as what happened to the horses and buggies when the motor vehicle first came in over 100 years ago,” he said. 

“In Goulburn, we’ve been lucky enough to become a focal point in the early adoption of electric vehicles, and it’s already having an impact.”

By Peter Oliver, Goulburn Post