Australia: Evie begins building fast charging network

Evie Networks is building a fast charging network for electric cars on motorways throughout Australia and is cooperating with California-based EV Connect. Compared to the size of the country, however, the number of planned HPC stations seems somewhat small.

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In the first phase, Evie Networks plans to build more than 80 ultra-fast charging stations at 42 locations to connect the main Australian capitals. HPC (High Power Charging) systems from the Australian manufacturer Tritium are to be used. Tritium chargers can also be found in Europe, for example at some ionity stations.

Evie Networks uses EV Connect’s cloud-based software platform to manage the store network. “EV Connect is the most experienced charging software developer on the market,” said Chris Mills, CEO of Evie Networks. “We use this expertise and the EV Connect platform to work with our partners to build a clean, secure, practical and reliable charging system for electric vehicles in small and large cities and along highways.

The 80 charging stations are to be built in the first phase. The companies did not say how far and fast the store network was to be expanded as a result. But the competition is not asleep: At the beginning of June, the Chinese start-up XCharge announced its intention to set up a network of at least 1,000 DC chargers in Australia – including several HPC stations with up to 350 kW. At the same time, Chargefox has been vying for control of Australia’s HPC grid.

Update 26.08.2019: On behalf of the Australian Government, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced $15 million in funding to Evie Networks to help roll out the planned ultra fast EV charging network along Australia’s highways. For completion, it is estimated that the project will cost around $50 million. CEO Chris Mills believes that around 350 rapid charging sites would effectively provide charging coverage for EV drivers across Australia.

Update 12.11.2019: Evie Networks has officially connected their first ultra-fast charger in Australia. The 350 kW charging station is located at the Coochin Creek location between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. Evie Networks plans to build more than 80 ultra-fast charging stations at 42 locations to connect the main Australian capitals during the first phase of their current expansion plan.

evconnect.com, thedriven.io, arena.gov.au (Update), thedriven.io (Update II)