Power play: St Baker takes on servos in rollout of EV charging stations
Trevor St Bakerās Evie Networks will roll out 300 new electric vehicle charge stations across the major capitals over the next two years, using the technology of Tritium in which he is a major shareholder and chairman.
Evie chief executive Chris Mills said the rollout will eat away at the dominance of petrol stations by siting the chargers at retail outlets, restaurants and council owned areas.
However, four other players, including Ampol, have also entered the fray under a subsidy scheme from the Federal Government and will roll out about 403 EV chargers nationally. Each of the chargers would be capable of charging at least two vehicles at 50kW or above. About 55 charging stations will be built in Brisbane.
It follows a funding round from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency of $24.55 million to five applicants across 19 projects to expand Australiaās fast charging network for battery electric vehicles.
St Bakerās Evie will get $8.85 million for 158 sites under the scheme and Ampol $7 million. Ampol will deliver fast charging bays at over 100 sites across its national retail network, covering the Greater Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth regions, as well as Newcastle, Wollongong, Central Coast, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Geelong.Ā
Mills said the rollout will help alleviate ārange anxietyā which had held back the EV rollout in Australia.
Mills said ARENAās funding was a major endorsement and would help the company achieve its mission to build Australiaās largest electric vehicle fast charging network, takingĀ traditional fuel retailers head-on when it comes to convenience.Ā
āInstead of locating chargers solely in traditional fuel stations, Evie Networks plans to deploy over 300 fast chargers (min 2 per site), at shopping centres, grocery stores, restaurants and council owned areas to allow for charging wherever convenient.Ā
āEV drivers will be unchained from travelling to the petrol station to refuel their car.
āFleet operators and private drivers can now confidently transition to EVs knowing they are supported by the most heavily funded EV charging operator in Australia..Ā
āWe also want to provide a high-quality charging experience, so sites are required to meet minimum standards, which include 24/7 access, high security standards, adequate lighting and on-site amenities.
Evie Networks has placed a multi-million-dollar order for the supply of fast-charging equipment with Tritium, the Brisbane-based EV charging manufacturer and also part owned by the St Baker Energy Innovation Fund.Ā
Stay informed, daily
Tritium recently announced a $1.8 billion merger with a special purpose acquisition company in the US and a listing on the tech-dominated Nasdaq index.
The sites developed through the Future Fuels Fund investment will also complement Evie Networksā planned highway network, which includes 42 ultra-fast charging sites linking the major capital cities.Ā
ARENA chief executive Darren Miller said the increased funding pool will significantly expand Australiaās fast charging network and remove barriers to the uptake of EVs.
āAs the costs of electric vehicles come down, more consumers and fleet users are looking to go electric. Expanding the fast charging network will make it easier than ever to drive an EV in Australia,ā he said.
Want to see more stories from InDaily Qld in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily Qld as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily Qld". That's it.
