Utility services firm Intellihub has just begun the rollout of fifty power pole-mounted electric vehicle chargers in New South Wales under its $2 million EV Streetside Charging project.
Intellihub reported that the company is now installing the first batch of the 22 kW power pole chargers on local streets of Sydney and Hunter Region.
EV Streetside Charging project
Intellihub’s $2 million EV Streetside Charging project primarily aims to install 22 kW chargers on fifty power poles directly linked to the Ausgrid electricity network.
The use of wooden power poles will essentially cut the need to spend on high-cost roadwork and charging infrastructure developments.
These EV chargers will employ 100% accredited GreenPower from Origin Energy, according to the company. Meanwhile, French multinational Schneider Electric supplies the 22kW EV chargers.
Notably, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) funded the project with $871,000 under its Advancing Renewables Program.
Installation progress
Climate Change and Energy Federal Minister Chris Bowen formally launched the first of the chargers in Wolli Creek, Sydney.
According to The Driven, the power pole chargers have also opened in Lane Cove and St Leonards in North Sydney and Maroubra, Coogee, and North Bondi in East Sydney.
The other 41 chargers will launch in local streets of Sydney’s St George, Eastern Suburbs, and Northern Beaches regions and Hunter Valley’s Lake Macquarie and Singleton regions.
Intellihub aims to progressively open the power pole chargers by the end of 2023.
Significance
Intellihub CEO Wes Ballantin claims that the EV Streetside Charging project is significant for the country to accommodate the surging number of electric vehicles on the roads.
“Around nine percent of all new car sales in Australia are now electric vehicles, and in some areas of Sydney the rates of EV adoption are double the national average.
By 2030, most experts expect that there will be more than one million electric vehicles on Australian roads. Power poles line most streets and that presents an enormous opportunity for local communities that will need a range of public charging solutions. They’re an accessible, safe, and practical option for EV charging.”
Intellihub CEO Wes Ballantine
Developing power pole chargers will undoubtedly aid EV owners, particularly those who have no access to off-street parking. It will also contribute to establishing a foundation around regulatory and commercial impediments for public chargers.
It is also worth noting that the widely-used Exploren platform from the local EV software and hardware provider EVSE will oversee the EV chargers’ operation.
