Existing power poles can be fitted with chargers to give urban dwellers access to the charging for the EV revolution.
Intellihub plans to install 50 electric vehicle chargers on street-side power poles for EV owners without off-street parking in Sydney, Port Macquarie, and Singleton, New South Wales. These should cater to EV owners who live in apartments, townhouses, or units that do not have access to EV charging onsite. will manage the charging service. Top-ups and overnight charging will be provided.
This type of installation should be simpler than most, as there are currently no regulatory barriers to using existing infrastructure that already has power running to it, such as street power poles. A successful trial will lead to wider rollouts and a move to commercialization.
“It’s expected that as many as 10 per cent of new car sales in Australia will be electric vehicles by 2025. That equates to an extra 120,000 new EVs on our local streets each year. It’s likely that many of these car owners may be unable to charge their EVs from home. Power poles line most of our public streets and that presents an opportunity for the EV charging market. They’re an accessible, safe, and practical option for EV charging,” Intellihub CEO Wes Ballantine added.