STOCKLAND AND AMPOL REV UP SUPERFAST EV CHARGING STATIONS

Property landlord Stockland has joined forces with fuel supplier Ampol to roll out AmpCharge fast and ultra-fast electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

The two ASX-listed companies will offer more 100 AmpCharge charging bays in 16 retail town centres. The bays will allow swift charging for EVs in about 60 minutes or less.

The fast-charging centres will be located in country NSW, Victoria and Queensland. The network will also include the Piccadilly centre, in Sydney city.

Stockland has charging facilities after it struck a deal in 2017 with EV manufacturer Tesla, where it invested $200,000 in a national roll-out of Tesla destination chargers in 31 shopping centres stretching from Cairns to Melbourne.

Stockland, which is a diversified property developer and owner, said there was also an option in the future to extend the agreement across its portfolio of residential and logistics assets.

The EV charging infrastructure will be rolled out in Stockland’s town centres over the next 18 months. The number of charging bays per centre will range from six to 12, based on demand.

Each AmpCharge charger can service two cars simultaneously, providing one car with up to 150kW of electricity, or two cars up to 75kW each.

“The partnership with Ampol is in line with the enterprise’s environmental, social and governance strategy, which is focused on innovation, scale and economically sustainable solutions,” Stockland chief executive Tarun Gupta said.

“Across our portfolio, we are continually exploring ways in which we can support our customers’ transition to a low-carbon future. Last year, our town centres saw nearly 1.8 million visits on average each week, and as the uptake of EVs grows in Australia, we will be providing customers with simple and accessible charging.”

Sales for EVs in Australia more than doubled in a year from 2022. There are now more than 180,000 EVs on Australian roads.

Fuelling growth in the industry is increased manufacturing of the vehicles. Chinese EV maker BYD has promised up to five new models a year, and 100,000 sales a year by 2026. The carmaker last week announced an ambition to double its EV sales each year in Australia, driven by the new model roll-out.

In June, property landlord Mirvac and Ampol also struck a deal to install charging stations in its shopping centre network.

Ampol is the first petrol chain to offer EV chargers at service stations, as the fuel sector focuses on lowering its carbon emissions. Under the deal, 72 of the fast-charging stations were installed across the Mirvac portfolio.

Ampol chief executive Matt Halliday said the group was aiming to become one of Australia’s leading EV charging networks. It has a national commitment to install over 300 AmpCharge EV charging bays at more than 100 Australian sites by the end of 2024. “This new partnership enables us to broaden our EV infrastructure network to Stockland’s diversified property portfolio, marking a significant progression in our commitment to supporting our customers and partners as they navigate their energy transition journeys,” Halliday said.

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