Another 149 pole-mounted EV chargers to be installed across Australia’s biggest city

Sydney based Plus ES says it will install 149 new pole-mounted electric vehicle (EV) charging units across the city as part of the first round of grants in the New South Wales government’s kerbside charging grant program.

The NSW state government announced on Sunday the recipients of the first round of EV kerbside charging grants, part of a $4.1 million investment to install 671 EV charging ports across 391 sites in the state.

The government investment is intended to drive a further $8 million in private investment and provide vital EV charging to drivers who do not have access to their own offsite parking and charging, such as those in apartments and busy metro suburbs.

Amongst the winners was Plus ES, a provider of end-to-end metering services and infrastructure solutions for both large and small markets.

The company says the 149 new pole-mounted EV charging units will be installed across Sydney’s Inner West and suburbs including Waverly, Randwick, Woollahra, and Lane Cove.

Plus ES will utilise the existing public power pole infrastructure to install the EV chargers so as to minimise community disruption and lower installation costs.

“We believe pole-mounted chargers are the most safe, efficient and cost-effective way to bring charging to the kerb,” said Rob Amphlett Lewis, group executive of Distributed Services and Plus ES.

“Utilising existing assets significantly reduces costs, but also minimises public inconvenience as there’s no need to excavate the footpath or road.

“This makes the EV charging infrastructure installation process quick and seamless and reduces the visual impacts on already busy urban streetscapes.”

Plus ES expects to complete the installation of the 149 pole-mounted EV chargers by the end of the year, and will use the initiative to test a handful of various approaches to EV charging and EV charging technologies.

“As part of this project, we will be deploying 70% of the chargers without dedicated parking spaces,” said Nate Larkin, head of infrastructure delivery for Plus ES.

“As well as keeping costs down and reducing installation time, this will allow us to see if this model can be a viable solution in the future.

“Additionally, we’ll be exploring ways to integrate cutting-edge technologies like Plug & Charge (PnC) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities, which can help balance the electricity grid as more renewable energy sources are added.

“Power poles are integral in not only supplying power to homes and businesses but also benefit the community through hosting telecommunication assets. The inclusion of electric vehicle charging is a logical evolution.”