As part of an Australia-first trial, under the proposal, we will install, own and maintain 100 22kW kerbside EV chargers across Melbourne’s inner and south-eastern suburbs, the Mornington Peninsula and western Victoria. We will lease the chargers to third parties to operate.

We have asked the Australian Energy Regulator to approve the trial to allow us to commence the trial. We are expecting their decision in September.

Head of New Energy Services, Dan Bye, said the trial would provide major benefits to drivers and support Victoria’s ambitious EV targets.

“This is a game changer for Victorian drivers,” Mr Bye said. “We’ll roll out cost-effective EV charging infrastructure that will be maintained by our expert field teams. We want to provide Victorian motorists confidence they can safely charge their EVs when and where they want by installing more chargers in local streets.”

Whilst the broad location of 80 chargers has been determined, we intend to undertake further community consultation to assist in determining the location of the 20 remaining charger locations. We will work closely with councils, communities and the Victorian Government to identify the best and most accessible locations, close to major roadways and public facilities.

As an essential service, we already have people and assets in place to install and maintain a fleet of reliable, safe and cost effective chargers for drivers. Importantly, the trial will not be funded by our existing electricity distribution customers however they will share in synergies arising from the trial lowering network tariffs through time.

If the trial is approved, it will begin in the first half of 2025.

You can read the application here: CPPCUE Ringfencing Waiver Application