Australia’s urban centres are about to get new lease on life as a local start-up plans to give these ugly items new purpose.
Green electrical boxes will be used to charge battery-powered cars in a bold plan to reinvent urban infrastructure.
A partnership between electrical provider Ausgrid and charging company Jolt has delivered the first of 500 planned electric car charging sites based on existing hardware.
Electric car drivers can get 7kWh of free power per day from the site at Mona Vale, or enough to drive for around 50 kilometres.
Additional energy can be bought for a fee.
The scheme converts plain green boxes used to protect electrical equipment into fast-charging sites for electric cars. Considered an “eyesore” by some residents, the electric boxes often attract graffiti.
Ausgrid spokesman Rob Amphlett Lewis said the move to make them more useful will help encourage people to switch to electric cars.
“We’re using existing, essential electrical infrastructure on the street to provide a free service
for the community and hopefully help accelerate the transition to electric vehicles in Australia,” he said.
“Innovative projects like this are the future of energy.
“They give our customers access to renewable energy choices and incentivise electric vehicle use which is a key step in the transition towards cleaner transport options.
“People will be able to pull up, plug in and be on their way in 15 minutes.”
Jolt chief executive Doug McNamee said the number of electric cars on NSW roads has doubled in 12 months, and that customers could save about $1000 per year by downloading Jolt’s app and charging for free.
Extracted from News.com.au