Street-side EV charging gets a $2.4m boost

Over 60 local government areas across Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia will receive 250 public kerbside electric vehicle (EV) chargers, thanks to $2.4 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

The recipient of the funding is Australian EV charging solutions provider EVX. EVX’s Australian-designed and -made pole-mounted EV chargers have been developed from the ground up to meet the technological challenges utilities and local governments face in rolling out EV charging infrastructure sustainably while adhering to local electrical and planning regulations.

The initiative, which makes use of existing power poles in urban and residential areas, is part of ARENA’s push to make charging more accessible for people who want to embrace EVs but are struggling to find the infrastructure to do so.

ARENA CEO Darren Miller said kerbside pole charging provided the perfect solution to increasing public EV chargers.

“Not all electric vehicle owners have the ability to charge their vehicle at home or at work, which is why we’re excited to partner with EVX on this rollout that utilises kerbside charging poles, providing a great opportunity to pair with EV charging,” he said.

“While sales of EVs are increasing, the expansion of public charging is vital in catering for future demand right across Australia.”

By using AC power with smart charging capability, EVX chargers have a low impact on the local electricity grid while being installed on the existing utility pole infrastructure, negating the need for disruptive works and facilitating a streamlined rollout.

“We are so excited that this partnership with ARENA is off the ground,” EVX CEO Andrew Forster said.

“The project will make EV charging more accessible for both residents and visitors to these regions, whilst also crucially allowing us to further test, adapt and develop the way we roll out this community charging infrastructure into the future.”

Supported by the Institute for Sustainable Futures at UTS, EVX will lead the coordination of real-time reporting and will work with Ausgrid and Essential Energy on the development of flexible tariff structures. Endeavour Energy; SA Power Networks; Ausnet; and CitiPower, Powercor and United Energy (CPPCUE) will also support the rollout. Flow Power will be the energy retailer for all 250 sites.

The project aims to accelerate the development, manufacturing and installation of the chargers, as well as enabling EVX and EV-charging app Wevolt to develop an open-access interface between utility systems and the public charging network, creating a user interface to improve the customer’s charging experience.

The funding is being delivered by the Driving the Nation Program. For more information, including program guidelines, eligibility criteria and how to apply, visit the funding page.

Image credit: iStock.com/Thurtell