Australian-owned freemium public charging network JOLT just announced that it has successfully secured funding from the NSW Government to expand it's network with 65 extra kerbside public charging sites across 7 local government areas in Sydney.
▶️MORE: Best EV charging networks in Australia
The key benefit of JOLT chargers is 7kWh of free charging per day (typically 25kW DC rate) per member account and then a per kWh cost for every extra kWh supplied.
The main reason they can afford to provide this freemium service is because each JOLT charger has large screens on it that have rotating image ads.
As a frequent JOLT user I can say that spending 20min adding 7kWh to my EV battery is much more convenient than spending much more time to add the same amount via a 7kW or 11kW AC rate public charging network such as EVX or Intellihub which usually cost more per kWh than JOLT.
It is not yet known which 7 council areas the 65 new JOLT charger locations will be installed in, however they had to be chosen from the ones listed in the NSW grant funding guidelines eg: City of Sydney, Waverley, North Sydney and Inner West Council.
According to the grant guidelines JOLT has 12 months to install the chargers after NSW Government approval, notification of assessment outcomes and the funding agreement is signed.
JOLT has different sizes of EV charging stations and it is not clear whether these 65 new locations will use the original large design above or the smaller design below. Perhaps it will be a mix depending on available electricity infrastructure.
The NSW Government funding program is aimed at addressing the urgent problem of a lack of convenient kerbside public charging for EV owners.
For many EV owners, such as renters and people who live in apartment blocks, the barriers to charge at home are much higher.
In order to ensure the exponential growth in EV uptake is sustainable, a fast public charging network that is proportional to EV ownership is essential.
Climate Change and Energy Minister, Penny Sharpe, whose ministerial car is electric, said the grants were part of a $209 million commitment into charging infrastructure.
"This investment will significantly increase the availability of public charging options and give people confidence their next vehicle purchase can be an EV".
"Almost 30% of NSW drivers do not have access to private, off-street parking to charge an EV. That figure is considerably higher in metro areas. We will continue to roll out EV charging grants to further support the NSW goal of being the easiest place in Australia to own and drive an electric vehicle."
The NSW Government program, funded and administered by the Office of Energy and Climate Change, seeks to provide greater accessibility and equity for a broader cross-section of the community to enable more people to access new technology that has a positive impact on the world.
JOLT CEO, Doug McNamee, commented
"Kerbside charging is critical to the transition to electric vehicles in Sydney, and providing fast, free charging to those who do not have access to off street charging is JOLT’s goal for this program. JOLT provides charging infrastructure at zero cost to councils, while providing 7 kWh, or up to 50 km driving range, free, to EV owners in the community each day".
"JOLT uses 100% renewable energy, helping to achieve net zero targets and contributing to a greener and more sustainable future for our country.”
JOLT partners with businesses, councils, transport authorities and governments across the globe to deliver public chargers.
JOLT is continuing to expand its operations in Australia, following the roll-out of additional EV charging stations in NSW with Transport for NSW, and a variety of other local council and land owner partnerships in Australia and New Zealand.
It has recently expanded to New Zealand, the UK and Canada, where thousands of EV chargers are currently being installed.
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