Chicken, chips and a charge: Evie launches its first EV charging station in Northern Territory

Evie Networks has opened its first electric vehicle fast charging station in the Northern Territory, outside a Red Rooster restaurant in Darwin.

Two 50kW DC fast chargers is the company’s 104th site in Australia. The Northern Territory was the final jurisdiction for Evie to set up a charger in, and its second co-located with a Red Rooster.

Craveable Brands’ chief development officer, Simon Thompson, hoped the site could “unlock a network of chicken and charging across the country”.

“Combined with the recent restaurant refurbishment this will give our customers even more reasons to pop and recharge both the car and the hungry kids,” he said.

Evie Networks has been slowly ramping up its network over the last two years, cutting deals with Pepper Money and AMP Capital to gain sites and customers.

The company is backed by energy and coal baron Trevor St Baker’s innovation fund and uses chargers made by another St Baker company, Tritium. The 350kW ultra-rapid chargers in city areas can recharge a vehicle in 15-30 minutes, while in regional areas it’s installing 50kW chargers.

In August, Evie cut a deal with finance upstart Pepper Money to offer free charging for the first 12 months of ownership or the first 2,000kWh – around 10,000-15,000 depending on the energy efficiency of the EV in question — for electric vehicles purchase through the financier.

In June AMP struck a deal with Evie to site chargers at 16 shopping centres, and the network operator is one of a handful for charger companies that will participate in Arena’s rollout of fast charging bays.