Grampians Health Ballarat is driving environmental awareness in regional Victoria by taking delivery of two State Government fleet battery electric vehicles.

The zero-emission Hyundai Kona Electric cars will cover a lot of ground across the Ballarat region, supporting the Government’s charge towards a state-wide net zero emissions target by 2050.

The Andrews Labor Government’s fleet conversion is well underway, backed by a $15 million investment to add 400 zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) and associated charging stations over two years.

To help spark community interest in the take-up of sustainable transport, the Government will make the ZEVs available for public purchase at the end of their lease.

The new Konas have a 480km range, enabling staff at the Ballarat Base Hospital to make long return trips for outpatient work or meetings without the need to charge en route. All ZEVs in the Government fleet will have a dedicated charging station where cars are garaged.

Grampians Health, the region’s central public referral health service, joined the ZEV pilot program as the next step towards greening its fleet, with charging stations included in the design during the Ballarat Base Hospital’s redevelopment.

In addition to reducing emissions, the hospital’s Konas will also deliver ongoing cost savings due to lower maintenance and running costs than petrol or diesel predecessors – freeing up funds for crucial health services.

Victorian-based industry expert JET Charge is fast-tracking the Government fleet’s ZEV transition as the contractor supplying and installing the charging infrastructure across Government-owned and leased buildings. The 7kW charging stations are manufactured in Victoria.

The Government has also invested $19 million in grants to expand the publicly accessible fast-charging network, including several locations in the Ballarat and Grampians regions.

Quote attributable to Assistant Treasurer Danny Pearson

“These cars will help drive Victoria to a zero-emissions future, which is a vital goal. There are benefits all-round – we’re protecting the environment and the ongoing savings can be used for essential health care.”

Quote attributable to Minister for Energy Lily D’Ambrosio

“This is an important step towards ZEVs making up half of all light vehicle sales by 2030, part of our nation-leading climate action which will see us slash emissions by 50 per cent by the same year.”

Quote attributable to Grampians Health Chief Corporate Services Officer Rod Hansen

“There-development of the hospital is a perfect opportunity to make positive changes and demonstrate environmental leadership by installing charging stations for electric cars. While we see this as the way of the future, we will also see an immediate impact with cost savings.”