Tritium plans Australia’s largest fast-charge EV network for Qld

Less than one month after Queensland EV company Tritium signed a deal to have its world-leading, Australian-made fast charging technology installed across three countries in Europe, the Brisbane-based company has revealed plans to establish a fast-charging network on home soil.

The company announced on Wednesday the launch of its Fast Cities Network initiative: a proposed network of EV fast chargers linking 430km of highway in Queensland’s south-east, to create Australia’s largest “electric super highway”.

The Fast Cities Network will see 12 of Tritium’s industry-leading Veefil fast chargers installed at points strategically located along major transport corridors, offering super-fast charging for drivers of pure electric and hybrid vehicles, and making EV ownership a more attractive option in the region.

The Veefil charging system – developed over 10 years and backed by a $1.15 million Early Stage Commercialisation grant – boasts the ability to charge an EV 20 times faster than plugging it into the wall at home, and to add 50km range to an EV battery in just 10 minutes.

Four of the 12 Veefil fast-charging units will be installed in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, Coorparoo and St Lucia, while a further eight will link popular destinations in the region, including Noosa, the Sunshine Coast, Caboolture/Burpengary, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Cararra/Southport, Coolangata/Tweed, and Byron Bay.

Tritium has also used the occasion of the Fast Cities Network launch to call on Australian companies and organisations to support the project and kick-start greater awareness of the benefits of EV ownership.

“Australia, ahead of the world in so many areas, is lagging behind as a nation in the uptake of electric vehicles, which have been shown to make an enormous contribution to creating cleaner, healthier cities,” said Tritium commercial director Paul Sernia.

“We are launching this initiative as a global demonstration of how to operate and run a fast-charging EV network beyond just one population centre. EVs are coming and it’s something councils around the world need to deal with. We want them to be looking to Queensland to see how a great intercity charging network can be operated.”

Sernia said Tritium was in the process of talking to a number of organisations about how they could become involved in the project, but was interested in hearing from any business, car club or civic association that might like to support the initiative or host a charging unit along the route.

The company estimates that the cost of implementing the Fast Cities Network will be around $A450,000.