Biggest Ever Australian EV Fleet Charging Project Announced

The new project has been granted $12m in funding from ARENA and will encourage uptake of electric vehicles

Australia’s biggest-ever electric vehicle fleet charging project has been announced, with $12m in funding coming from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

JET Charge, an EV charging company based in Melbourne, has launched the $24.9m Charging as a Service Project.

This projectintroduces a new way for fleet operators to pay for EV charging infrastructure, with JET Charge installing and maintaining EV chargers at the customer’s site and fleet operators footing the bill via a subscription fee.

More than 3,000 new electric vehicles will be put on the road overthe project’sthree-year run.

With the federal government working to achieve their goal of net zero emissions by 2050, they are making major efforts to decarbonise the transport sector by encouraging fleet owners to switch to electric vehicles.

Fleets make up about half of new vehicle sales in Australia, but for smaller fleet owners, the high upfront costs and challenges involved in installing and maintaining charging infrastructure are a major barrier to uptake for EVs.

Through their subscription service, JET Charge will be able to offer charging services to customers at a lower cost.

ARENA CEO Darren Miller says the project will encourage more fleet owners to make the change to electric vehicles.

"We know that access to charging infrastructure is a barrier for fleet users looking to switch to EVs, so it's exciting to see JET Charge developing a new way to make charging more accessible," Miller says.

"Not only will this project put more than 3,000 new electric vehicles on the road, but it will also help prove the charging as a service model and hopefully lead to services like this rolling out across Australia."

Greenpeace has welcomed the new fleet charging project, calling it an "essential step in the right direction".

Violette Snow, Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s spokesperson,says it’s now time for big businesses to step up on transport by committing to 100 per cent electric cars and trucks.

"Increased investment in charging-as-a-service dramatically reduces dwindling excuses from the business sector, adding to the business case for electric fleets," she says.

"We're already seeing major companies like IKEA, Woolworths and Westpac showing leadership by switching to electric cars, vans and/or trucks.

"Fleets play a critical role in Australia’s transition to electric vehicles as their cars make up over 40 per cent of new car sales and are only used for three to five years. When a business commits to going electric, that means more everyday Aussies will be able to buy second-hand EVs sooner and start driving toward cleaner, healthier streets."