Inner-city Melbourne residents unable to charge their electric vehicles at home have a convenient new option

A new EV charging station has been launched in Melbourne’s inner south, catering primarily to inner-city residents unable to charge their vehicles at home.

The Hub, at 30 Prohasky Street, Port Melbourne, comprises seven 22kW GET electric vehicle chargers in an area surprisingly short of public charging stations.

Launched today by Lily D’Ambrosio – Victoria’s Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister – the Hub’s location is crucial to an area that has seen former industrial sites turned to commercial, and residential apartment buildings, and is close to the new Fishermans Bend residential and business precinct.

A supplier and installer of EV charging stations for residential and commercial applications, GET built the Hub for the growing number of drivers who cannot access a reliable and convenient way to charge their EV.

The company’s director and founder Srecko Lorbek said people living in high-density apartment towers, townhouses and strata buildings with limited off-street parking really are starved for choice because they have very limited ability to charge their vehicle from their own home.

“So, we decided to build our own user-pay Charging Hub so that drivers can charge their EV any time of the day or night in a safe and secure environment. As the world rapidly accelerates towards EVs, the Hub is the petrol station of the future.”

GET CEO Harry Hartman said the Hub was also built in recognition of the fact that Australian EV sales are gaining momentum as the world’s leading car manufacturers bring forward plans to exit petrol and diesel engine vehicle production.

“So, we decided to build our own user-pay Charging Hub so that drivers can charge their EV any time of the day or night in a safe and secure environment. As the world rapidly accelerates towards EVs, the Hub is the petrol station of the future.”

GET CEO Harry Hartman said the Hub was also built in recognition of the fact that Australian EV sales are gaining momentum as the world’s leading car manufacturers bring forward plans to exit petrol and diesel engine vehicle production.

“Such a rapid exodus from petrol and diesel underscores the need for urgently expanding EV charging infrastructure, especially as governments and other large fleet buyers go electric,” he said.

“While conventional wisdom may be that consumers will lead the transition, the reality is that the carmakers are leading change by phasing out production of fossil fuel powered cars, vans and light commercial delivery vehicles. By 2030, new car buyers will have little choice other than to buy electric.”

At today’s launch, Lorbek thanked the Victorian Government for supporting the proliferation of electric vehicles with charging infrastructure – and gave a nod to its controversial EV tax.

“The Victorian Government is moving in the right direction by recognising internal combustible engine (ICE) vehicles are on the way out and developing public policy and infrastructure to support EV drivers,” he said.

“They are also ahead of the curve by anticipating the need for EV drivers to contribute to road maintenance, and whilst the timing of that is a matter for government, we support their leadership in advancing discussion and debate.”

The GET fast chargers are 22kW AC and are suitable for battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles with Type 2 or CCS2 ports.

Australian electric vehicle charging company GET has launched its first charging hub in Melbourne.

The seven EV-only charging bays are located at Lorbek Luxury Cars at 30 Prohasky Street, Port Melbourne, and are accessible by anyone who needs to charge their electric car.

A solution to a growing problem, GET is a new company founded by director Srecko Lorbek and CEO Harry Harmann. Harmann says that the idea sprung about when touring China on business, and seeing that while many EV drivers and owners might not have a charger at home, they can share access at hubs at apartment blocks, shared facilities, and commercial areas.

The hub was officially launched today by Victorians Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister Lily D’Ambrosio. The seven chargers don’t require any pre-registration, with users able to use the QR code on the machine to launch an app and begin charging their car. The chargers have a maximum output of 22kW.

“People living in high-density apartment towers, townhouses and strata buildings with limited off-street parking really are starved for choice because they have very limited ability to charge their vehicle from their own home,” said Lorbek.

“Few existing apartment towers have EV chargers, and if they do they are limited to only one or two, making it difficult for the growing number of EV drivers to reliably charge their cars. So, we decided to build our own user-pay Charging Hub so that drivers can charge their EV any time of the day or night in a safe and secure environment. As the world rapidly accelerates towards EVs, the Hub is the petrol station of the future.

“The Victorian Government is moving in the right direction by recognising internal combustible engine (ICE) vehicles are on the way out and developing public policy and infrastructure to support EV drivers. They are also ahead of the curve by anticipating the need for EV drivers to contribute to road maintenance, and whilst the timing of that is a matter for government we support their leadership in advancing discussion and debate.”

Harmann added that beyond charging infrastructure coming online, it is manufacturers that will soon fuel more widespread adoption of electric cars, and thus require much more charging infrastructure than is currently available.

 “Such a rapid exodus from petrol and diesel underscores the need for urgently expanding EV charging infrastructure, especially as governments and other large fleet buyers go electric,” he said.

 “While conventional wisdom may be that consumers will lead the transition, the reality is that the carmakers are leading change by phasing out production of fossil fuel powered cars, vans and light commercial delivery vehicles. By 2030, new car buyers will have little choice other than to buy electric.”