Australian hardware and garden giant Bunnings has confirmed it is quietly rolling out electric vehicle (EV) chargers at locations across Australia and New Zealand, with chargers installed at 14 of the company’s stores so far.
The news was first reported by Yahoo News, piggybacking off an Instagram post from local electrification & EV advocate Sarah Aubrey on Monday, who had to make an impromptu visit to Bunnings after their “smoke alarm decided to just wig out and make noise” at two o’clock in the morning.
During her visit to Bunnings at Alexandria, Aubrey discovered a new EV charger with two charging ports and a handy space between so as to ensure greater ease of access for those with mobility issues.
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The Driven reached out to Bunnings who confirmed that chargers have been installed at 14 store carparks in Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia, and across the Tasman Sea in New Zealand.
Two more charging locations are expected to be rolled out over the coming weeks.
The chargers being installed include a mixture of 22kW, 50kW, and 120kW chargers – including the 120kW charger at Alexandria – and all chargers located at Bunnings stores can be found through drivers’ preferred EV charging app.
“We’re always working to make sure we’re meeting the changing needs of our customers,” said Rod Caust, Bunnings director of stores.
“As electric vehicles become more common in Australia and New Zealand, we’re installing EV charging stations in some of our store car parks so our customers with EVs can charge up while they shop.”
The store carpark EV chargers add to the range of EV charging products available in-store for customers who are looking to install at home.
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.