A new apartment building in Melbourne is now Australia’s largest EV-enabled thanks to the installation of more than 250 EV charging points. NOX Energy and Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen launched Australia’s largest EV-enabled building at Sierra Hawthorn.

Access to charging points is one of the largest barriers to EV ownership in Australia, and this latest project gives hope for apartment dwellers who wish to own and run an electric vehicle.

Comprising 241 residential apartments and five commercial tenancies, the building now has NOX Energy power sockets to support EV charging across the building. As a result, every resident now has access to 10A/2.4kW EV charging directly from their allocated parking space.

The installation also includes 10 additional power socket units and a 22kW MSI charger for commercial tenants.

2

Each of the new charging points is estimated to save residents around $2000 per year in fuel costs compared with running a petrol vehicle, with the cost of the charge point estimated to be recovered within 12 months.

“Electric vehicles are cheaper to run, better for the environment and quieter on our streets, but for too many apartment residents charging has been a barrier,” Mr Bowen said. “The 251 EV chargers installed here make this the largest EV-enabled building in Australia and among the largest globally. Charging at home is the cheapest and easiest way to power an EV, and this rollout helps make that possible for more people.”

The installation is part of the “Accelerating EV Adoption: Unlocking EVs for Strata Residents” project, which supports the deployment of 2000 EV charging devices across Australian strata buildings. This project includes funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) through the Driving the Nation initiative, which aims to accelerate electric vehicle adoption nationwide.