RACV and EVX team up to deliver kerbside EV chargers across Melbourne

The Royal Automobile Club of Victoria, better known as RACV, is partnering with leading electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure company EVX to roll out up to 40 dual kerbside chargers across Melbourne.

According to RACV, the 40 EV chargers will be installed “across the state”, but it looks for the moment as if the immediate focus is inner Melbourne.

The first two installations, expected to be operational in the coming weeks, will be located at High Street and Warner Avenue in Ashburton, close to Ashburton Park and Warner Reserve.

Subsequent chargers are set to be rolled out in the City of Port Phillip, City of Stonnington, and City of Yarra.

This focus on inner Melbourne makes sense, however, as pole-mounted EV chargers are tailor made to provide on-street charging in areas where off-street parking is minimal or non-existent – as is often the case around the suburbs closest to Melbourne’s CBD.

EVX’s kerbside chargers utilise existing utility poles, suiting parallel street parking, and minimising civil works, with the dual chargers able to be installed and operational in hours. Each EVX charger features dual 22kW sockets.

“Partnerships like this with RACV are helping us to accelerate the transition to EVs by providing a reliable, accessible, affordable and sustainable EV charging network across the country,” said Andrew Forster, EVX CEO.

“We’re focused on providing accessible charging options for the millions of Australians living in apartments, units, and inner-city dwellings without private parking or the ability to install home chargers, or for those looking for convenient charging throughout their day-to-day movements.”

Delivery of EVX’s pole-mounted EV chargers across Australia has been supported by a $2.4 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

The investment by the Federal government, through ARENA, was announced earlier this year and is targeting the addition of 250 new kerbside dual chargers across a mixture of urban hubs and regional centres.

Currently, EVX, operates 100 chargers throughout New South Wales and has plans over the next 12 months to install a further 120 chargers across Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory.

The partnership with RACV comes after EVX announced last week that it would deliver over half of the new kerbside chargers announced as part of the New South Wales government’s latest investment in kerbside charging infrastructure.