More EV Fast Charging In Ascot Vale, Powered By Renewables

Victoria’s Moonee Valley City Council teamed up with Evie Networks to install two new electric vehicle chargers in Ascot Vale that are powered by 100% renewables.

The 50kW Tritium RTM Fast Chargers, installed and operated by Evie Networks, are situated at 66-68 The Parade. The site was selected given its proximity to Union Road shopping precinct (which is next door) and Ascot Vale Activity Centre.

“One of Moonee Valley’s priorities in becoming a low carbon city is to facilitate the transition into emission free vehicles,” says Council.  “Our aim is both to encourage EV owners to visit Moonee Valley and also encourage residents of Moonee Valley to consider EV’s as a viable option for their next vehicle.”

To use the Tritium fast chargers, drivers will need to download the Evie app from the App Store or Google Play Store. Evie’s stations support both CHAdeMo and CCS Type 2 DC connectors, catering for most electric vehicles on the road.

As for the cost, that wasn’t mentioned. Evie Networks says its pricing can vary station to station given differences in charging capability and energy prices in the respective jurisdiction.

These aren’t the only public electric car chargers in Ascot Vale. To see others (and those at locations across Australia) check out SQ’s searchable public EV charger map page. On a related note, you can learn everything you need to know in our EV charging 101 guide.

Moonee Valley’s Low Carbon City Aspirations

Back in October 2019 Moonee Valley City Council joined a bunch of other local governments in declaring climate change should be treated as a national emergency. Making a declaration is one thing, doing something about it is another – but Council has been walking the talk.

Council has attained carbon neutral certification for its own operations, achieved through various means. Among them was the introduction of electric vehicles to its own fleet and replacing 6,000 street lights with more energy efficient alternatives.

As for the electricity the organisation uses, since the beginning of July last year Council has been powering its operations with 100% renewable electricity through the largest emissions reduction project undertaken by Australia’s local government sector. 46 Victorian Councils teamed up to pool their electricity buying power to secure a long-term contract for renewable energy generated from wind farms in the state.

Moonee Valley City Council has also more than dabbled in on-site solar power, with 2,758 solar panels installed on 30 of its buildings.

The organisation has set a target to achieve zero net emissions for the entire community and to reduce emissions from Council’s operations by 95% by 2040.

On the community front, solar power has been pretty popular – where it can be installed. For example, in Ascot Vale, solar panels can be seen on the rooftops of many homes and businesses. In the 3032 postcode, more than 1,471 small-scale systems (<100kW) with a collective capacity of 7,021 kW had been installed as at July 31, 2022.

While Ascot Vale’s installed PV per capita is quite low – 248 watts per person compared to a 751 watts Australian average – this is likely due to 53.7% of dwellings in the suburb being semi-detached, flats or apartments (Source: 2021 Census QuickStats).