BP Pulse, the electric vehicle (EV) charging network owned and operated by oil and gas supermajor BP, has opened a 24-bay charging hub at Melbourne Airport that ranks – at least for now – as the biggest in the country.
Construction on BP’s first large-scale charging hub in Australia began in March of this year, promising 24 charging bays consisting of 150- and 300- kilowatt (kW) chargers, two accessible bays, drive-through bays for larger vehicles, a bathroom, and a canopy.
Located on Airport Drive near Melbourne Airport’s long-term Value car park, and its opening was confirmed last week by Chargefox, Australia’s largest and fastest growing EV charging network.
The canopy covers only around 12 of the charging bays, but all are lit, and there are also some truck-friendly pull-through charging bays as well as a dedicated Uber charging bay. T
he hub is nestled between a DHL depot and the Melrose Lounge, and close to the existing Value Car Park and the Melbourne Airport Wait Zone and Ring & Ride, and also includes free Wi-Fi, picnic seating, and access to nearby amenities.
The site may be the biggest in Australia for now, but it could soon be overtaken by a new Tesla Supercharger planned for Albury, with plans submitted to the local council envisaging a 37-bay Supercharger site.
The $3.5 million project is proposed for a vacant 1,300-square-metre lot in the Albury suburb of Thurgoona, about 2.5 kilometres from the Hume Highway, according to the ABC. It is cited closed to supermarkets, a gym, and is designed specifically to cater for long distance travellers.
