Tesla plans 37-bay Thurgoona charging hub, billed as Australia's largest public EV site

The proposal on the Victoria-NSW border

Tesla has applied for a permit to build a $3.5 million charging station capable of charging 37 cars simultaneously on a vacant 1,300-square-metre lot in the Albury suburb of Thurgoona, about 2.5 kilometres from the Hume Highway. The ABC's Philippe Perez reported that plans submitted to Albury City Council show the hub would have capacity to charge 37 cars at once, and that if approved it would be the largest public charging hub in Australia. ¹

The Border Mail's Anthony Bunn reported that Albury Council has received a development application to establish 37 charging posts servicing the same number of parking bays on a currently undeveloped block along Diamond Drive, with Canberra company Purdon Planning lodging the plans on Tesla's behalf. The site is earmarked for land opposite a Coles supermarket that opened in July 2025. ²

A briefing published by ABC Goulburn Murray on Monday, October 12, likewise described a planning application lodged by Purdon Planning for a $3.5 million hub with 37 charging spaces on a 1,300-square-metre vacant lot next to a shopping complex on Diamond Drive in Albury's north. ³

Design, solar canopies and location

The proposed site is slated to feature Tesla's V4 chargers and sits next door to a gym and directly opposite a supermarket hub. Digital renders of the proposed site include solar panels on canopies over the bays, which documents reveal would generate up to 100 kilowatts of power, according to the ABC. ¹

The Border Mail reported further design details: a solar energy system of 100 kilowatts would support the Thurgoona site, with photovoltaic panels sitting on canopies above the 37 parking bays, and a 2.1-metre-high fence is planned for the rear of the property to act as a heat barrier and reduce the risk of bushfires. ²

The development application lodged with Albury City Council stated the proposal was expected to mainly serve drivers on long-distance trips along the Hume Highway, per the ABC. ¹

Purdon Planning's statement of environmental effects, quoted by The Border Mail, said the proposal would "enhance the range of services available to motorists travelling along the Hume Highway and residents of the growing Thurgoona area", and that the completed facility was expected to increase visitation to the local centre, providing a larger customer base for existing and future retail and food service businesses during charging periods. ²

Council assessment and unknown timing

Albury City Council will consider the proposal at a later date. According to the ABC, Albury Council has a public notification for the development on display until October 21, while a council assessment report is due by the end of November. The application is currently awaiting council assessment. ¹

Albury mayor Kylie King told The Border Mail she was not familiar with the details of Tesla's Thurgoona proposal but welcomed the prospect of more chargers, saying that when interstate visitors come from Melbourne to the region, "you can tell that there are a lack of EV charging stations". She noted she was assuming the private investment would be welcomed and that the location made sense for Thurgoona residents who travel in and out of town, while stressing she had not yet seen the detail. ²

The Border Mail contacted Tesla and Purdon Planning to learn when the new charging station was expected to open but received no responses, so an opening timeframe for the hub has not been publicly confirmed. The ABC also reported Tesla had been contacted for comment. ²¹

Part of a wider network push

If approved, the station would expand on the 16-space Tesla charger currently in Albury's CBD, which opened three years ago. At the time of its opening, that Commercial Club car park site was Tesla's largest charging centre, The Border Mail reported. The Border Mail also noted the Thurgoona proposal follows Tesla flagging plans for a 24-stall charging site at Yass and opening a 20-unit charging base at Goulburn, both points on the Sydney-Melbourne corridor. ¹²

Tesla is also looking at expanding its offerings between Melbourne and Adelaide, by nearly doubling the number of chargers it has in the western Victorian town of Kaniva, according to the ABC. Separately, Wagga Wagga councillors on Monday considered whether the council should run an expression of interest for new chargers at the Tarcutta truck-stop site, another mid-point between Sydney and Melbourne. ¹

In August, Tesla announced plans to establish a service centre on the corner of Young and Dean streets in Albury, with an opening date of November this year flagged, The Border Mail reported. ²

A development application lodged by Tesla for a proposed 37-bay public charging hub at Thurgoona, on the NSW-Victoria border near the Hume Highway, is before Albury City Council. Reported pricing and specifications are proposal details: a $3.5 million build, 37 charging posts and bays on a 1,300-square-metre Diamond Drive lot, V4 chargers, and up to 100 kilowatts of on-site solar. Council assessment remains pending, no opening date has been given, and the project's status as Australia's largest public charging hub would apply only if approved. ¹²

Industry views on charging demand

Vehicle Charging Solutions Australia director Ross De Rango told ABC Victorian Statewide Mornings that charging sites near highways were seen as competitive prospects, and said state governments should be involved in building charging infrastructure in areas away from major arterials. He argued the network is currently ahead of demand: "In a time where the rate of [EV] cars being on the road has gone up by a factor of three, the amount of charging infrastructure has gone up by a factor of 12. So, we're not just keeping up, we're running ahead of the curve." ¹

University of Melbourne associate professor Milad Haghani struck a more cautious note, telling the ABC that charging infrastructure would have a serious job keeping up if the EV sales boom continued: "If even a fraction of this demand continues into the future, that means that the infrastructure has some catching up to do." ¹

RACV motoring editor Terry Martin said EV popularity was surging and many companies were rushing to install charging sites to keep up with demand. "As RACV runs its own public charging sites, we know it's important that Australia's EV charging network continues to grow, keeping pace with fast-rising sales of electric cars," he told the ABC. "More than 180,000 EVs have been sold this year, and a lot of those will be hitting the highway over summer." ¹

The ABC also reported that recent data shows regional EV charging hubs rarely face congestion but can become very congested during peak periods such as public holidays, which is relevant to a site pitched at long-distance Hume Highway traffic ahead of summer travel. ¹