AMPOL has launched its electric vehicle charging brand, AmpCharge, and plans for the fast chargers to go national in service stations and in customer homes.

The AmpCharge rollout will start with five pilot sites at Ampol service stations in Carseldine QLD, Alexandria NSW, Northmead NSW, Altona North VIC, and Belmont WA, coming online in June and July 2022.

These sites will feature AmpCharge chargers supplied with renewable energy, or covered by green certificates, and will be capable of delivering charge to a BEV at up to 150kW, with each site having the capacity to charge at least two BEVs concurrently.

The sites will also feature solar panel systems and battery storage provisions.

Ampol said that the five pilot sites form part of an initial roll out to approximately 120 sites by October 2023 as part of an agreement with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announced in July last year, with ARENA providing partial funding through the Future Fuels Fund.

AmpCharge will service customers at home and on the road at its Ampol forecourts and destinations, using existing Ampol infrastructure and customer relationships to provide consistent and frequent charge facilities.

In its statement, Ampol said an at-home branded charging infrastructure was also expected to be developed under AmpCharge. This would be offered to consumers as part of a broader home energy offer.

Ampol managing director and chief executive officer, Matt Halliday, said the announcement was an important step forward in the execution of Ampol’s future energy and mobility strategy.

The strategy included the company’s objective to reduce emissions in the transport sector and support the uptake of battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

“I’m pleased to today unveil our full-service electric vehicle fast charging ecosystem, AmpCharge, leveraging our existing network, skills and infrastructure to provide a diverse and comprehensive charging network that can minimise range anxiety and support the uptake of BEVs in Australia,” he said.

“We’ve been keeping Australians moving for over 120 years. Today, as energy needs evolve, our vision is to become Australia’s leading distributor of energy, providing mobility solutions for any of the vehicles our customers drive, anywhere and anytime they need it.

“As we begin to evolve our national network, consumers will see AmpCharge in Ampol service stations, depots and terminals right across the country.

“For the first time, we’ll also be entering homes, workplaces and shopping centres as we seek to deliver simple and efficient charging solutions at convenient locations to keep people moving.”

Ampol is looking to establish the leading EV charging network in Australia by 2030, including a fleet offer for business customers.

Ampol’s move comes after announcements made globally by BP and Shell on increasing EV charging facilities, although neither of these rivals has indicated moves into the home charging.

By Neil Dowling