Under the proposal, distributors will install, own and maintain 100 22kW chargers, which will be leased to third parties to operate.
The charging points will be in power poles across Melbourne’s inner and south-eastern suburbs, the Mornington Peninsula and Western Victoria, including Shepparton.
The distributors are seeking approval from the Australian Energy Regulator for a trial waiver to allow this initiative on regulated assets.
Head of new energy services Dan Bye said the trial would be a major benefit to drivers and support Victoria’s electric vehicle targets.
“This is a game changer for Victorian drivers,” he said.
“We’ll roll out cost-effective EV charging infrastructure that will be maintained by our expert field teams.
“We want to provide motorists confidence they can safely charge their electric vehicles when and where they want by installing more chargers in local streets.”
The companies have identified 80 initial trial locations, with community consultation determining the remaining 20. The chargers will be installed one metre above the ground on power poles.
“By using our existing pole network, we can reduce rollout costs and speed up the installation of EV charging points,” Mr Bye said.
“As an essential service, we already have teams and assets in place to install and maintain a reliable, safe fleet of chargers for drivers.”
If approved, the trial is set to begin in the first half of 2025.
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