Australia’s first EV fast charging station with a tap and go payment system is up and running in Bicheno, Tasmania – a relief for EV drivers who now have to contend with multiple different phone apps to access charging infrastructure.
The new 50 kW charging station was installed by Electrona, a Tasmanian company focussing on electric vehicle infrastructure, fleet planning, consulting, and new energy projects.
The charging station has a tap and go payment terminal that takes credit cards, debit cards and NFC devices.
“The reaction to our site is overwhelmingly positive,” said Stephen Poljansek from Electrona.
“When undertaking testing last week I had numerous Bicheno town locals and visitors stop for a chat. They were very curious and most were very excited. Most expressed a desire to get an EV as soon as they could afford one. One person was unsure but conceded that the world is changing around them.”
Poljansek says Bicheno is the company’s pilot public site and will be used to benchmark costs and deployment considerations.
“We are so excited that Electrona was first to deliver app-free charging in Australia. Nobody wants a dozen apps on their phone for this purpose. We are even prouder that this happened first in Tasmania, a state that already leads the nation in renewable energy.”
Electrona says their are lots of obstacles to installing public chargers including:
- Misinformation and lack of public understanding
- Access to suitable sites
- Capital cost
- Capacity of electricity network
- Timeframes for community consultation and delivery of electricity connections
- Unpredictable and low revenues in relation to deployment costs
The station can also be configured to take payments through a smart phone app, however the tap and go terminal operates independently so drivers don’t need to install any apps to operate the charging station.
The need to download a number of apps for various different charging networks can be a source of frustration for EV drivers – particularly non-Tesla drivers – so the new tap and go option will improve driver experience.
The 50 kW charger is a “Raption 50” made by Spanish company Circontrol and is upgradable to 100 kW. The charger is designed to be installed in public access environments such as urban spaces, shopping centres, airports, road-side rest areas as well as private areas like companies with EV fleets and taxi ranks.
Poljansek says the transport model has changed. “We will no longer use petrol stations. Electric vehicles will be charged where they are parked. At the shops, at the park, the beach and when visiting regional places,”
“We plan to do our bit to make this happen sooner.”
Daniel Bleakley is a clean technology researcher and advocate with a background in engineering and business. He has a strong interest in electric vehicles, renewable energy, manufacturing and public policy.
Australia’s first tap and go fast charging station up and running - The Driven
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