Plan mooted to install electric vehicle chargers on power poles

Drivers in Victoria could charge their electric cars directly from power poles on the street if a joint trial by energy companies is approved.

CitiPower, Powercor and United Energy want to install 100 electric vehicle chargers on power poles in Melbourne’s inner and south-eastern suburbs, the Mornington Peninsula and parts of western Victoria next year.

Richard Laxton, technical adviser at the Australian Electric Vehicle Association.Credit: Jason South

Some residents of densely populated areas with no off-street parking are illegally running charging cables from their homes over footpaths to charge their cars because there are no other charging options.

Many cities, including London, Oslo and Amsterdam, have installed public chargers for electric vehicles on power poles.

Under the Victorian proposal, 22-kilowatt chargers would be mounted on power poles one metre above the ground.

The chargers would be run by third-party charge-point operators, which would manage user access and pricing, while the electricity distributors would own and maintain the stations.

Richard Laxton, technical adviser at the Australian Electric Vehicle Association, said that because many residents in inner-city areas relied on street parking, there was a growing need for more accessible charging options.

“These are public chargers, which means that anybody can use them,” he said. “There will be a lot of places and a lot of people that this initiative will help.”

Laxton said placing chargers on power poles could help avoid the long delays often associated with gaining council approvals for new infrastructure.

Eighty locations in areas with high EV ownership have been identified. Community consultation will determine a further 20 sites.

The chargers, which would feature single and dual ports to accommodate several vehicles, would be placed in public spaces near major roads and amenities.

CitiPower and Powercor’s energy services head, Daniel Bye, said increased accessibility would help curb unsafe practices such as drivers running extension cords across roads, footpaths and nature strips.

“It really makes sense to utilise the existing infrastructure that we have to make it faster and cheaper to install these devices,” he said.

Credit: Matt Golding

Councils would need to ensure the chargers were placed in areas that didn’t interfere with pedestrian access or that created parking conflicts.

The project requires approval from the Australian Energy Regulator (AER), as the distributors are seeking a waiver to install and maintain chargers on regulated assets such as power poles.

Bye said a mix of on-street and dedicated EV parking was expected.

“We know that off-street parking can be a bit of a sensitive topic to the residents in those areas, and we’re fully aware of that. But we do think that they both play a part,” he said.

An AER spokesperson confirmed that a trial application had been received this week and would be reviewed under the regulator’s ring-fencing rules.

“The AER has rules for ring-fencing that apply to some electricity services from the electricity distributors such as EV charging,” the spokesperson said. “Ring-fencing seeks to protect consumers by separating monopoly electricity distributors from services that can be provided in a contestable market.”

The regulator said it welcomed waiver applications, which are considered through a process that can involve public consultation before a decision is made.

“In considering an application, the AER is required to take into account a number of issues. These include the national electricity objective that aims for long-term benefit for consumers and the impact on competition.”

The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.