Key Points
- NOX Energy and ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr launched EV charging at The Griffin apartment building in Parkes, Canberra, on 30 October 2026.
- NOX Energy has confirmed 91 charge points are installed, and owners in all 254 apartments can add one to their parking space.
- NOX Energy says The Griffin is now Australia's second-largest EV-enabled apartment building, behind Sierra Hawthorn in Melbourne.
NOX Energy and ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr launched EV charging at The Griffin apartment building in Parkes, Canberra, on 30 October 2026. NOX Energy says it is now Australia's second-largest EV-enabled apartment building. It follows the company's March launch at Sierra Hawthorn in Melbourne, which remains Australia's largest EV-enabled apartment building.
NOX Energy has installed charging infrastructure backbone across The Griffin's car park, so owners in all 254 apartments have the option to add a charger to their designated space. NOX Energy has confirmed 91 charge points are installed, and the full rollout is due for completion by mid-November 2026.
What NOX Energy installed at The Griffin
The Griffin's owners voted to provide a building-wide solution to a common barrier to EV ownership for apartment residents: access to charging at home. NOX Energy installed the infrastructure across the car park. Residents then choose whether to pay for and install a NOX Energy Intelligent Power Socket (IPS) in their own space.
The first installation phase is live. NOX Energy says additional chargers can be connected to the existing infrastructure without a costly building-wide retrofit.
Through NOX Energy's partnership with MSI, residents can also buy the MSI EZgo 15A portable charger at a reduced price. It is compatible with the IPS.
The Griffin at a Glance
Detail | Information |
Location | The Griffin, Parkes, ACT |
Apartments | 254 |
Charging hardware | NOX Energy Intelligent Power Socket (IPS), plus the optional MSI EZgo 15A portable charger |
Charge points installed | 91 (over 35% of residents have opted in) |
Rollout status | First phase live, full building rollout due by mid-November 2026 |
Funding | ARENA Driving the Nation Program, with a $1.5 million federal investment according to Member for Canberra Alicia Payne |
Ranking | Second-largest EV-enabled apartment building in Australia, according to NOX Energy |
How opt-in works for residents
Residents can opt in at their own pace. NOX Energy has confirmed 91 charge points are installed. Head of Sales Alena Nolan said over 35% of residents have already opted in to pay for and install an IPS in their own parking space. She said many of them do not yet own an EV.
That means some owners are fitting a charger before they buy a car. NOX Energy says the infrastructure will be ready whenever they do. Zecar's home EV charging guide explains the options for apartment and house owners.
Residents who charge at home can also compare EV energy plans to check what their charging will cost.
Part of NOX Energy's national strata project
The Griffin installation is part of NOX Energy's Accelerating EV Adoption: Unlocking EVs for Strata Residents project, supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) through its Driving the Nation Program. The project aims to bring nearly 2,000 EV chargers to strata buildings across Australia. NOX Energy says The Griffin takes it past 750 chargers installed.
The Griffin has 254 apartments, compared with 241 residential apartments at Sierra Hawthorn. Sierra Hawthorn was fitted with a dedicated charge point for each apartment. The Griffin gets the shared infrastructure first, with chargers added as owners opt in. The release does not say how NOX Energy measures building size for the ranking.
What officials and residents said
Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the project would help more Canberrans access electric vehicles.
The Griffin demonstrates how owners' corporations can work together to enable charging infrastructure across a building, making it easier for residents to connect when they choose.
Alicia Payne, the Member for Canberra, said the facility is the second-largest apartment-based EV charging facility in Australia. She said it was delivered with the help of a $1.5 million federal investment through ARENA.
Carolyn Cole, Chair of the Executive Committee at The Griffin, said the owners wanted a solution that would serve the whole community over time.
Our owners wanted something fair and future-proof. Now every owner has the option, today or in ten years' time.
How the ACT leads Australia on EV uptake
The ACT has the highest rate of EV ownership per capita in Australia, according to the ACT Government. As of August, the Government said one in 20 registered vehicles in the territory is now electric, after three record months of uptake in a row. The figures below show how far ahead the territory is of the national average.
ACT EV Uptake Snapshot
Measure | Figure | Source | |
Registered battery EVs | 18,236 at 17 August 2026, up from 446 in January 2020. A further 4,313 plug-in hybrids are registered. | AEVA ACT | |
Share of registered vehicles | One in 20 according to the ACT Government in July. AEVA ACT's 17 August count has battery EVs at 18,236 of 345,148 registered vehicles (about 5.3%), against a national average of about 2%. | ACT Government, AEVA ACT, Electric Vehicle Council | |
Share of new registrations, last 12 months | More than one in four (over 25%) | ACT Government, July 2026 | |
Share of new registrations, last three months | More than one in three (over 33%) | ACT Government, July 2026 | |
Share of new registrations, June 2026 | Over 43%, which the ACT Government describes as nearly one in two | ACT Government, July 2026 | |
Share of new registrations, battery electric | 44%, with no time period stated | Fiona Wright, ACT Government, via Region Media, 24 October 2026 | |
Share of new registrations, plug-in (battery electric and plug-in hybrid) | Over half as of September, about double the national average | Fiona Wright, ACT Government, via Region Media, 24 October 2026 | |
National share of new sales, battery electric only | 24.9% in August 2026, a record, up from the previous high of 23.5% in June | FCAI data, via The Driven | |
Public chargers | More than 330 public charging bays, with 86 more planned | ACT Government, July 2026 | |
Ultra-fast DC charging | One connector per 206 battery electric vehicles, down from 224 | Region Media, 24 October 2026 (no source named) | |
EV loans | Sustainable Household Scheme loans of up to $20,000 for new or used EVs priced under $60,000 | ACT Government, July 2026 | |
2030 target | 80 to 90% of new light vehicle sales to be zero emission vehicles | ACT Government |
Apartment charging is one of the gaps projects like The Griffin aim to close. AEVA ACT has also launched a public register of EV-friendly strata buildings in Canberra, and the territory's public network now includes Canberra's biggest EV charging hub.
About the author
Danny is a consultant and entrepreneur working at the cutting edge of the electric vehicle and energy transition. He is passionate about educating and helping consumers make better decisions through data.
