$1.51m to boost EV charging for apartments

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is giving $1.51 million in funding to electric vehicle charging company ReadySteadyPlug to support the rollout of its EV charging service in apartments and strata buildings across Australia.

ReadySteadyPlug developed its Charging-as-a-Service (CaaS) model to be an affordable, equitable and scalable solution for residential apartments. It is designed to eliminate two of the major barriers to EV charging in strata complexes — upfront cost and electrical complexity.

Part of the Australian Government’s Driving the Nation Program, the ARENA funding will help the company to install up to 428 EV charge points and associated infrastructure. Combined with other funding (from customers and ReadySteadyPlug itself), ARENA’s support takes the overall funding for ReadySteadyPlug’s national rollout to $3.49 million.

A feature of the system is that it enables charging via standard power outlets, along with smartphone access control, cloud-based metering and automated billing. The system also includes comprehensive dynamic load management to avoid exceeding a building’s maximum electricity supply.

“We know that a lack of access to charging infrastructure at home can be a huge barrier to EV uptake for the millions of Australians that live in apartment buildings. Our pay-as-you-go, affordable charging technology and infrastructure changes that, providing an accessible EV charging solution designed specifically for apartment buildings,” said Jukka Sintonen, CEO of ReadySteadyPlug.

Sintonen said the system did not require a large, upfront investment from an Owners Corporation.

“Residents who don’t want an EV charging point don’t pay for EV charging infrastructure, or for the electricity they don’t use,” he explained. “EV owners can charge at home whenever it suits them, and the Owners Corporation gets reimbursed every quarter for the electricity used. It’s a model that works for the whole building, not just early adopters.”

ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the project addresses a crucial gap in Australia’s EV charging network.

“For millions of Australians living in apartments, the absence of simple, affordable charging at home remains a real barrier to electric vehicle adoption,” Miller said.

“ARENA’s funding will help to tackle this challenge by demonstrating solutions that lower the cost and complexity of EV charger installation. This will provide a replicable and scalable blueprint for other strata and apartment communities to follow.”

A single 10-hour overnight Level 1 charge with ReadySteadyPlug delivers 200 kilometres of range — more than the average Australian drives in a typical week.

Images courtesy of ReadySteadyPlug.