Tesla charges through Aussie electric vehicle milestone

Electric vehicle giant Tesla has opened its 100th charging location in Australia despite fears the company may wind back its local investments.

The US brand celebrated the milestone in South Australia on Thursday, launching another six chargers in the beachside suburb of Glenelg.

It also confirmed its plan to launch another 17 Tesla charging stations across NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia over the coming year.

The announcement comes despite staff lay-offs in Tesla's charging team overseas and questions raised at a national inquiry into electric vehicles about whether Australia's charging network has hampered EV adoption.

Tesla opened its latest vehicle-charging location with a commemorative charger painted in green and gold, which also sought to celebrate 10 years since its first Australian installation.

Tesla Australia country director Thom Drew says the automaker remains committed to expanding its charging network.

"Our goal is to make range anxiety a thing of the past by providing convenient, fast and reliable charging, both close to home and on the road, and allowing more people to experience the benefits of EV ownership," he said.

Future Supercharger stations are planned for a range of Australian locations over the next year, Tesla said, including Gosford in NSW, Cairns in Queensland, and Port Campbell, along Victoria's Great Ocean Road.

The announcement comes months after the company cut back on its Supercharger investments in other parts of the world and reportedly disbanded the team behind its rollout.

Tesla competes with several other firms for a share of electric vehicle charging in Australia, including Chargefox and Evie Networks that lead the race, according to figures from Next System.

The federal Transition to Electric Vehicles inquiry last week heard concerns that more consumers were delaying buying electric vehicles because of a lack of public charging facilities.

Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Tony Weber told MPs greater investments in charging facilities were needed to reassure drivers they could readily access vehicle chargers, particularly those who lived in apartments.

"We think that will be a significant issue in their purchasing decision," Mr Weber said.

"It's a bit of a chicken and an egg discussion and ultimately it comes down to how quickly the government wants to have the transition to a low-emissions future."

Australians bought more than 57,000 new electric vehicles up to August this year, according to industry figures, but their growth has slowed compared to 2023.