Sydney's electric vehicle (EV) drivers now have more on-street opportunities to charge their cars with nine low-impact plug-in point locations available for residents and visitors.
The trial with Ausgrid and EV charging infrastructure partner EVX highlights how the City of Sydney is taking early action on its Electrification of transport strategy and action plan.
"Drastically lowering transport emissions is critical to meeting our net zero targets. We are making great inroads by improving active and public transport options, but ensuring remaining private vehicle use is as green as possible is also incredibly important," Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore AO said.
"That's why the City is working with energy providers and our diverse communities to lower the barriers to electric vehicle use, particularly through access to charging facilities.
"Research shows that most people who own an electric vehicle will be able to charge at home, work or a public off-street charging point but given the City's urban fabric, not everyone in our community has access to private parking.
"We're meeting the challenge of providing on-street charging capacity without obtrusive infrastructure taking up precious road and footpath space."
Ausgrid Group Executive of Distributed Services Rob Amphlett Lewis said the eight additional power pole-mounted chargers recently installed across the City of Sydney's area showcase how Ausgrid is helping to make the transition to EVs easier.
"At Ausgrid, we are working hard to address issues surrounding electric vehicle charging accessibility. Power pole-mounted chargers are faster and cheaper to deploy than other kerbside charging units and reduce urban clutter, causing less disruption to our surrounding communities," Mr Amphlett Lewis said.
"We believe as the community sees more charging infrastructure close to their homes, they will feel confident making their next vehicle purchase an EV. Ausgrid is uniquely placed to enable and accelerate broader electrification for an accessible, affordable and equitable net zero future."
The Australian-made EVX pole charger has been designed to meet the challenges utility providers and local governments face in building EV charging infrastructure sustainably.
"We're proud of this partnership and are thrilled to be able to supply such a crucial component of our community's EV charging needs. Areas of inner Sydney with little or no off-street parking will greatly benefit from this service, and these new chargers have been strategically located to serve these communities," EVX CEO Andrew Forster said.
There are 14 dedicated EV charging spaces at the eight new locations that the City of Sydney will make available free. Drivers will need to download an app to access and pay for the charging service directly with EVX.
Residents are already reaping the benefits of this infrastructure which is helping more people transition from fossil fuel powered vehicles to EVs.
"This charger is game-changer for our area. We've already seen an increase in residents making the switch which will only continue as more chargers are rolled out throughout the city," Millers Point resident Melanie Tait said.
"The houses here were built in the early to late 1800s when everyone was getting about by horse, so we are reliant on street-based infrastructure. The same can be said of the apartment blocks which were mostly built pre-electric cars and lack the necessary infrastructure to facilitate fast charging."
EV drivers can now access nine on-street charger locations in our local area:
- 16 Kent Street, Millers Point
- 12 Trinity Avenue, Dawes Point
- 55 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont
- 8 Brown Street, Newtown
- 15 Carillon Avenue, Camperdown
- 3-19 Yurong Street, Darlinghurst
- 2 Huntley Street, Alexandria
- 27 Morley Avenue, Rosebery and
- 75 St Johns Road, Glebe.
Sydney's first power pole-mounted EV charging point, also powered by EVX, has been in operation in Glebe since February, complementing more than 100 publicly available charging points spread out across our local area.
"We are all in a climate emergency. We must continue working to reduce emissions across the board and I'm glad these on-street chargers are powered by 100% renewable electricity," the Lord Mayor said.
"With over 8% of new cars sold in Australia now EVs, the scale-up of charging infrastructure is only going to become more important. Being able to install these eight new chargers in just a week shows that rapid deployment of new kerbside charging infrastructure is possible to meet the rising demand," Mr Forster added.
EV drivers are encouraged to look at the NSW Government's EV charging map for a comprehensive list of public charging sites in our area.
