In the move to a more sustainable transport system, active and public transport are key, but electric vehicles (also known as EVs) are also important. EVs are becoming more popular in Merri-bek, they are getting cheaper and batteries are getting better.
People can charge their EVs at home or out and about. Council owns and operates 26 public EV chargers that the community can use around Merri-bek. These chargers are mostly in car parks.
We have received feedback from residents who cannot charge their EVs at home because they do not have off-street parking like a driveway. We hear that our public chargers are often very busy or too far from people's homes.
To help address this issue, we are trialling on-street EV chargers that are mounted on electricity poles.
About pole-mounted EV chargers
The on-street EV chargers are small boxes attached to power poles. A charging cable runs from the box to the car. Each charger is able to charge 2 vehicles at a time. There are dedicated street parking spaces beside the pole that act as the charging bays.
The chargers are operated by private companies and, like other public chargers, will require you to pay a fee to use them.
Pole-mounted EV chargers are much cheaper and faster to install than other kinds of public chargers, like the ones you see in shopping centre car parks. Over a hundred pole-mounted chargers have already been installed in NSW and are operating successfully.
About the trial
The trial will involve at least 2 private operators, managing the chargers at different sites.
- Private operators will own and operate the chargers and will be responsible for setting the price of the electricity they supply.
- Council is responsible for community engagement and for managing the parking bays. Other than this, there will be no cost to Council.
Each charger can supply power to two vehicles, at a speed of up to 22kW.
Extra proposed locations may be added, make sure you follow this page to receive updates to your inbox.
Join the Conversation
Below is a map of where each of the chargers will be installed for the trial. You can click on an icon to leave feedback about the trial at that location.
You will need to have a Conversations Merri-bek account to leave feedback.
- Find the rust-coloured "LOG IN/JOIN" button at the top of the page and click it to start registering.
- Select "LOG IN" if you already have a profile on Conversations Merri-bek OR select "SIGN UP" to create a new profile.
- To create your profile you will need to add: Screen name, email address, password, full name and postcode. Check the boxes that apply and click "CREATE ACCOUNT".
- You can now continue with your submission
We require you to register to complete the form to protect the integrity and fairness of the consultation.
The information you provide also helps us to meet our legislative obligations and improve our processes.
Your personal details will not be used for any other purpose. Find out more about our privacy policy here: https://conversations.merri-bek.vic.gov.au/privacy...
How can the community influence this project?
What can be influenced?
- Whether or not a charger is installed at a given location
- Total number of chargers installed a part of this trial
What can't be changed?
- Each charger will have two dedicated EV charging bays
- The charger will be installed and two parking spaces allocated as charging bays for at least 1 year
- The speed of the charger is not negotiable, and all chargers will have the capacity to charge two vehicles.
Contact Us
Phone
+61 3 9240 1111
Email
engagement@merri-bek.vic.gov.au
National relay service
133 677
(ask for 03 9240 1111)
