- Fleet electrification and battery storage specialists, Zenobē, have opened Australia’s first off-site electric truck charging hub, in a move that will allow more heavy commercial vehicle operators make the switch to electric.
- Located in Sydney, New South Wales, the new charging hub features 22 high-power EV chargers.
- The off-site hub model is poised to allow more operators to adopt eHGVs without the need to invest in their own costly depot charging infrastructure.
Zenobē brings off-site electric truck charging to Australia
The main tenant of the new site will be Australian retailer, Woolworths. This firm is set to lease approximately 50% of the spaces at the new Sydney charging hub, helping it to operate its fully-electric delivery trucks across the Sydney areas. The remaining charging bays are still available for businesses across Sydney who are operating electric commercial vehicles.
The off-site charging hub model is one likely to grow in popularity with commercial EV adoption. This pathway is less costly for operators compared to planning and installing their own charging infrastructure, but unlike typical public chargers, it still guarantees that those chargers will be available to use when needed.
As part of the partnership with Woolworths, Zenobē will also lease out 60 light electric commercial trucks to the firm, under its ‘Electric Vehicle as a Service’ model. This end-to-end solution includes vehicle financing, battery management, and vehicle maintenance, making the switch to EVs an even simpler proposition for businesses.
Shared and off-site charging infrastructure for the commercial EV sector, not just in Australia but around the world, will play a key role in accelerating the rollout of such vehicles.
Gareth Ridge, Zenobē Country Director for Australia and New Zealand, commented:
“This project marks a turning point for Australia’s commercial transport sector. The Mascot hub is not only the first of its kind in the country, but also a model for how fleets can access clean, shared charging infrastructure without needing to invest in their own sites. We’re proud to be leading this change alongside our partners and helping to make sustainable transport a reality for Australia.”
Woolworths Director, Strategic Initiatives, eComX, Chris Peters, added:
“With our home delivery service more popular than ever with our customers, working with Zenobē allows us to scale our investment in an EV truck fleet quickly. Charging infrastructure like this new facility is critical to our EV operations and helping to make our suburban streets just a little quieter and cleaner.”
