Eight new pole-mounted EV chargers have recently been installed across the streets of Sydney as part of a partnership between the City of Sydney, Ausgrid, and EVX, while the first two pole mounted chargers have also been installed in Byron Bay.
EVX, a leading Australian EV charging infrastructure company, designed the Polecharger which has ben deployed across Sydney’s inner city – including Millers Point, Dawes Point, Pyrmont, Newtown, Camperdown, Darlinghurst, Alexandria, Rosebery, and Glebe.
The first EVX Polecharger was installed in Sydney in February in the suburb of Glebe, paving the way for the City of Sydney and Ausgrid to further expand the trial across the inner city.
EVX has also partnered with the City of Newcastle as well as recently partnering with Essential Energy to extend its rollout of kerbside EV chargers to the holiday destination of Hawks Nest on the New South Wales Mid North Coast, and this week also to Byron Bay, where the first two pole mounted chargers have been installed.
“Power pole-mounted chargers are faster and cheaper to deploy than other kerbside charging units and reduce urban clutter, causing less disruption to our surrounding communities,” said Rob Amphlett Lewis, Ausgrid group executive of distributed services.
“We believe as the community sees more charging infrastructure close to their homes, they will feel confident making their next vehicle purchase an EV.”
A total of 14 dedicated EV charging spaces are now in operation at the eight new locations across inner Sydney. Drivers must bring their own standard Type 2 charging cable and access the EVX Australia app to begin charging.
“We’re proud of this partnership and are thrilled to be able to supply such a crucial component of our community’s EV charging needs,” said Andrew Forster, EVX CEO.
“Areas of urban Sydney with little or no off-street parking will greatly benefit from this fundamental infrastructure, and these new chargers have been strategically located to serve these communities.”
The charging fee is 50c/kWh. At this stage, the charger has a maximum capacity of 11kw per socket. EVX says that as vehicle manufacturers increase the AC charging capacity of their vehicles, EVX’s software can allow for updates to the capacity remotely. Charging time will depend on the vehicle specifications and battery utilisation.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.