CHARGE YOUR EV WHILE YOU SHOP: AMPOL REVS UP CHARGING STATION ROLLOUT TO RETAIL CENTRES

More electric vehicle owners will soon be able to charge their cars when they go shopping under a new deal between property landlord Mirvac and fuel supplier Ampol to install charging stations across its shopping centre network.

The $7 billion ASX-listed Ampol is the first petrol chain to offer EV chargers outside its service stations, with charging bays known as AmpCharge, as the fuel sector focuses on lowering its carbon emissions.
Under the deal, 72 of the fast-charging stations will be installed across the Mirvac portfolio, starting later this year.

Mirvac, an ASX-listed diversified property owner, manager and developer with a market value of $9.1 billion, has been at the forefront of increasing its green credentials and was the first Australian shopping centre portfolio to have 100 per cent renewable electricity across its centres in January 2021.

Mirvac retail general manager Kelly Miller said since launching fast charges, Mirvac has seen a significant rise over time in the usage of the stations across the portfolio, with a 60 per cent rise in usage in the past year.

“Mirvac’s partnership with Ampol represents a significant milestone in electrification with two major Australian companies coming together to drive the use of more sustainable vehicles,” Miller said.
The move comes as car companies are applying pressure on the federal government to adopt globally competitive fuel efficiency targets.

In a recent submission to the government, the Electric Vehicle Council warned that increased car use following a downturn during the COVID-19 pandemic had resulted in higher transport emissions.
Australia trails globally on the adoption of electric vehicles with 3.8 per cent of new vehicle sales being electric compared with 8 per cent in the United States and 25 per cent across Europe.

The Albanese government has set a target to cut emissions to 43 per cent by 2030, and net zero by 2050. US President Joe Biden last month said his target was to reduce emissions by 75 per cent to 80 per cent by 2035 and have net zero emissions by 2045.

Mirvac first rolled out EV charging services six years ago and this partnership with Ampol will more than double the number of charging bays at its shopping centres, including Broadway and South Eveleigh in Sydney, and Queensland’s Orion Springfield Central.

Last year, the then AMP Capital teamed up with EV group Evie Networks to roll out charging stations across 16 shopping centres nationwide including the Macquarie Centre in Sydney.

In Ampol’s case, the agreement will form part of its initial commitment to deliver more than 300 AmpCharge EV charging bays at more than 100 sites across Australia.

“Ampol continues to build its AmpCharge network so customers can charge with us wherever and whenever they need,” said Ampol executive general manager, international and new business, Brent Merrick.