Travellers with electric and hybrid vehicles can now stop and charge in Forbes - right in time for the summer holidays.
The Spring Street electric vehicle charging station was officially opened on Monday, with a range of electric vehicles on site and a chance to see how they connect.
Mayor Phyllis Miller said getting the EV chargers installed and commissioned had been a lengthy process, but highlighted their importance.
"We know that everyone benefits from the charging stations," Mayor Miller said.
"By installing these in Forbes we're encouraging more more electric vehicles and travellers in our community - to stay for a while.
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"We understand that EV drivers plan their trips around charging stations, and will often stop to eat, or shop in our local town while their car is charging and this is why they're terribly important to the economy of a small rural town like Forbes."
Mayor Miller said the charging station was used nearly 40 times in the first four weeks, a sign of the need for the infrastructure with some 180,000 electric vehicles on the road in Australia and projections for that to rise.
"I was at Mount Panorama in 2010 in Bathurst when the first electric vehicle was driven around the circuit ... I remember the excitement we all felt seeing this new technology in the central west," Mayor Miller said.
"I drive a hybrid - I can drive to Wollongong and back and not even use three quarters of a tank of petrol so they're pretty amazing."
Krishna Thiers, business development manager from EVSE who installed the charging stations, was very happy to show people how to charge the vehicles through the Exploren app and said electric vehicles could thrive in regional communities.
"As an EV driver and road trip enthusiast I rack up thousands of kilometres a year driving my EV around," he said.
"Forbes has positioned itself for EV travellers like myself," he said, as well as for locals looking at new energy vehicles.
There are two types of chargers in Spring Street, providing both DC and AC charging.
"The DC charging is great for those who need to charge up and get back on the road quickly, while the AC chargers are better for those who want to plug in, spend the day here, spend some time in Forbes and explore the beautiful town," Mr Thiers said.
The chargers are on the Exploren network, so drivers use that app to charge, and there are contact details on the chargers if you need them.
After putting a great deal of thought into selection a location that could cater for the chargers in a location handy to our town for visitors, the site does have the capacity for more chargers in the future.
"This site not only meets the needs of today but it also designed to allow for the future roll out of more chargers as the demand increases," Mr Thiers said.
Attracting a lot of attention on launch day was the BYD Shark 6 - a hybrid ute - driven to Forbes by Dan Sayers.
"It's the first true hybrid ute in the segment and it's exciting to have it in the Australian market," he said.
"It's a 1.5l turbo petrol engine and a hybrid Blade battery, the latest Blade battery.
"We opened pre order online and sold over 2000 vehicles in the first 24 hours - currently over 4500 vehicles so far
Dan, who has family here, was more than happy to make the road trip to Forbes for the event.
"I've come from Darlinghurst with one full charge and one full tank of fuel," he said.
"It still had plenty of juice in the tank as they say and about 20 per cent on the battery. It was a spectacular drive."
The charging station was funded by Forbes Shire Council and the Australian Government Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program, the mayor acknowledging the Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure, Transport, and Regional Development and Communications for also contributing to the project.
