The NSW state government is helping to make electric vehicle charging more accessible by funding more plugs in its metro areas.
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Of the 549 planned electric vehicle (EV) charging outlets to be installed across Sydney suburbs with help from the NSW government, more than half will be managed by just one infrastructure company – EVX.
EVX CEO Andrew Forster told Drive the company will be responsible for 278 charging sockets that will be deployed in 13 suburbs within the next 12 months depending on specific council regulations – such as reallocating parking spaces.
“Hopefully in September we’ll start to see the first sites going up,” Forster said.
The DCCEEW also confirmed that all 549 chargers will going up within the next year.
Most of the chargers installed across the five recipients use AC (as opposed to DC) power with many being installed on existing utility poles to help minimise the amount of disruptive installation work required.
Through this round of funding from the NSW state grant program, EVX received $750,000, or 27 per cent, of the $2.8 million Labor Government investment.
Another grant recipient, Charge Post, received $660,000 of the grant and will be installing 40 dual port chargers, or a total of 80 sockets across six local government areas, according to Managing Director Blaise Northy.
EF Asset Management received $400,000 to install 47 single-socket sites throughout three western councils, while Plus ES will be installing 95 chargers with a total of 108 sockets in 12 local councils across the greater Sydney area.
As for customer cost, Forster explained to Drive that the standard charging price is 50 cents per kilowatt in most areas, and there are off-peak rates for residents, some at $0.39/kW.
Northy told Drive it charges $0.44/kW with a $0.99 session fee to cover equipment costs and is in “negotiations with a wholesaler to provide flexible charging” rates.
Nathan Brown of EF Asset Management told Drive they don't have its greater-Sydney prices yet, but with its regional NSW chargers, the current flat-rate is $0.40/kW.
Plus ES – who also installed chargers in the previous round of state funding – also doesn't have its new rates set, but of their previously installed chargers, users pay $0.38/kW.
A new EV charging player enters the game
London-based EV chargers, Connected Kerb is making its debut in Australia through this grant.
Focusing on the Northern Beaches, Connected Kerb Australian representative Jonathon Clark told Drive it plans to install nine charging stations with four chargers per site (36 sockets total), receiving less than 10 per cent of the grant.
Connected Kerb has yet to set any prices as it is new to the Australian market, but plans on setting peak and off-peak rates and hopes to be operational by summer.
The DCCEEW told Drive we can expect all these chargers to be rolled out within the next 12 months.
Northy also told Drive that all recipients are working together and “acknowledges the contribution of the New South Wales government”, which is expected to have a material impact on EV uptake.
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Ilana is a Melbourne-based journalist who was previously a copywriter in the Big Apple. Having moved to Melbourne for her Master of Journalism, she has written articles about food, farm machinery, fashion, and now the fast and furious. Her dream car has been a Mini Cooper since the fifth grade, eyeing its style and petite size.
