The new NRMA charger in Mittagong.
Motoring organisation NRMA has rolled out its fastest electric vehicle charges yet, in a newly upgraded facility in Mittagong, NSW, that uses battery technology as a back-up for the first time.
The new chargers at the Mittagong RSL provide up to 150kW and provide four charging bays, adding to the existing single charging station which will now service ChadeMo plugs only.
NRMA Energy boss Carly Irving-Dolan says the use of a battery-integrated solution means the units can be deployed without significant upgrades to the grid, reducing the time required to establish electric vehicle charging in locations where power supply is an issue.
She says that in some locations, upgrades to the grid would prove too costly and time-consuming to be viable. The deployment of this type of infrastructure allows the NRMA to connect straight to the grid with minimal delay, while still providing maximum charge to EV drivers.
“Battery-integrated chargers are commonly found overseas, but this is the first time this technology will be deployed here in Australia,” Irving-Dolan said in a statement.
“We need to innovate, think outside the box and investigate all potential solutions to give us the best possible chance at building a network that is fit-for-purpose.
The facility will provide fast charging up to 150kW using a standard 27kW connection to the grid, with the remaining power stored in supporting battery banks until required.
The Mittagong RSL site now features two 150kW chargers providing dual CCS charging capacity across four charging bays, and retains the existing Tritium charger enabled for single charging at 8kW for CHAdeMO.
The 150kW will be shared between the two CCS2 plugs on the Freewire charger, if 2 cars charging at the same time, each of them will get max 75kW.
NRMA is rolling out 117 chargers across the National Highway Network in partnership with the federal government, including many off-grid chargers that will be powered by on-site solar and battery storage.
Giles Parkinson is founder and editor of The Driven, and also edits and founded the Renew Economy and One Step Off The Grid web sites. He has been a journalist for nearly 40 years, is a former business and deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review, and owns a Tesla Model 3.
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