Ausgrid has installed the first power pole-mounted electric vehicle (EV) charger in Australia, as a part of a broader program that aims to deliver up to 30,000 pole-mounted EV chargers across the Ausgrid network by 2029.
Ausgrid CEO Richard Gross was in Newcastle to officially open the charger and confirmed Ausgrid’s commitment to helping the community achieve an affordable, resilient and net-zero future meant looking at how existing infrastructure could best be utilised.
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“We are incredibly excited to be delivering this innovative Australian first with the City of Newcastle and EVX. These pole-mounted chargers will help to address EV accessibility by providing chargers for people without home systems, and those traveling outside of their local areas.” he said.
“We believe it is our role as the electricity distributor to seek opportunities to help deliver innovative technologies for our customers, and we’re excited to continue rolling out this program across our network.”
Councillor Carol Duncan said City of Newcastle is committed to creating a sustainable future for our city by implementing the actions of our adopted Climate Action Plan.
“As part of City of Newcastle’s Climate Action Plan we have set an aspirational goal of seeing 10,000 registered electric vehicles in our city by 2025,” Cr Duncan said.
“To achieve that we need to work with our partners such as Ausgrid and EVX to support the supply of suitable charging stations, both in new buildings and in public places. I welcome the installation of this charger at Dixon Park beach, which will allow our community or visitors to charge their car while enjoying our beaches, cafes, parks and pathways.”
EVX CEO Andrew Forster said, “This is essential community infrastructure for the future, and we are so excited that this partnership is off the ground. The project will make EV charging more accessible and affordable for both residents and visitors to Newcastle while contributing to the battle against climate change.”
Pole-mounted chargers are faster and cheaper to deploy than other kerbside charging units, and they don’t add to urban clutter, causing less disruption to the surrounding communities. The specific locations of the pole-mounted EV chargers will be determined over the coming months.
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This announcement comes after a year of strong innovation announcements from Ausgrid, including the launch of its third community battery at Cameron Park in Lake Macquarie.
Customers in Newcastle should download EVX app to activate the charger. Charging costs $0.50 per KW/h flat rate.
