Australia’s longest EV highway to feature Kempower rapid charging technology

JET Charge is to install 42 Kempower rapid chargers along the new EV highway in Western Australia.

The EV highway is part of the McGowan Government’s AU$21 million Electric Vehicle Fund and delivers on the State Electric Vehicle Action Plan for Western Australia. JET Charge, Australia’s largest EV charging infrastructure specialist, has been chosen as the charging hardware solution provider for the project, which is set to extend for over 5,300 kilometers across Western Australia.

The State Government is delivering the highway through its energy utilities, Synergy and Horizon Power. Stretching from Kununurra in the north to Albany in the south and Eucla in the east, the project will see a range of EV chargers installed at locations across Western Australia, including metropolitan and regional sites, as well as into the outback. Once the highway is completed, EV drivers will have access to 98 EV chargers spread across 49 locations at no more than 200km apart.

JET Charge has ordered 42 Kempower C-Stations, which combine a charging power unit and charging satellite into a single unit. Depending on the site, these dual outlet chargers will deliver either 75 or 150 kW of power. JET Charge selected the Kempower C-Station for the EV highway project due to its robust design, dynamic power management, high voltage and practical driver interface experience. The modular design architecture of the Kempower C-Station also easily allows for future expansion.

Commenting on the project, Tomi Ristimäki, CEO of Kempower, said: “We partnered with JET Charge at the beginning of this year to accelerate the Australian EV transition by supplying fast, reliable and economical charging solutions, so we’re thrilled to see our technology chosen for such a massive project in the country.

“The new Western Australian EV highway, which is one of the world’s longest single EV infrastructure projects of its kind, will ensure EV drivers can explore the state with the confidence that they can find charging infrastructure when needed, even when travelling on some of the most isolated highways in the world.”

Tim Washington, CEO of JET Charge, added: “We started JET Charge almost a decade ago to accelerate the transition to low emissions vehicles in Australia by breaking down the barriers to EV charging. We are so proud to be involved with a landmark EV charging network that features a lot of Australian-made innovation and will absolutely smash those barriers, allowing people to drive EVs all over the great state of Western Australia.”