Startup plans to roll out long-dwell EV charging points

An Australian startup has teamed with a UK manufacturer to provide more EV charging stations in public spaces with the support of local government.

Andrew Forster

EVX, which was founded in 2021, says it plans to roll out 1000 charge points over the next two months after announcing a partnership Connected Kerb, which provides charging infrastructure to councils across the UK and Europe.

CEO Andrew Forster says the partnership will be a game changer for the public sector and councils, and boost public uptake of EVs.

“Up until now the way charging has been done is behind the boom gate at shopping centres and on private properties,” Mr Forster told Government News.

“What we’re trying to achieve is genuine public domain charging opportunities.”

The Connected Kerb technology uses above-ground sockets built into structures like bollards, while the data and power part of the charging point remains underground in a protective box.

“There’s no touch screens or keypads, it’s purely a socket on a post,” Mr Forster says.

The passive below-ground infrastructure also allows for above-ground charging points to be progressively installed without the need for additional infrastructure or substations, he says.

Long-dwell charging

The technology is aimed at long-dwell charging, where EVs are parked for at least 1-2 hours, something Mr Forster describes as a missing piece in EV infrastructure plans.

 He says the company has recently been validating, testing and adapting the technology to Australian standards. It is currently in discussion with a number of councils as it plans to install the charge points, initially around the Sydney area.

“We want to look at areas that have a reasonable degree of different property types,” he says.

“That means people who visit the area during the day can take advantage of them for two hours and people who live there can take advantage overnight.”

Mr Forster says there’s been significant interest from local government in providing charging infrastructure, although many councils have concerns about who will be responsible for running and maintaining it.

He says EVX offers a range of business models, whether it’s purchasing and operating the infrastructure or opting for a parking meter-style partnership.

After you hit a certain level of utilisation there’s going to be an ongoing benefit from a commercial point of view for the councils,” he adds.

“So councils are really in the drivers seat when it comes to how these strategies play out because at the end of the day 90 per cent of people that can’t park in their garage to charge their car are going to want to do it at home on the street, at work on the street, wherever they possibly can. Councils are well placed to take advantage of that.”

Connected Kerb has over 10,000 public on-street charging points across the United Kingdom and is being backed by investors to deliver 190,000 on-street chargers by 2030. 

Comment below to have your say on this story.

If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@governmentnews.com.au.  

Sign up to the Government News newsletter

Leave a comment:

Your email address will not be published. All fields are required