Kiwi startup Evnex to launch “smart charger” for EVs in Australia

Using wind, solar, or hydropower to fuel an electric vehicle is set to become easier in Australia, with the launch of next-generation car-charging technology.

New Zealand startup Evnex on Thursday revealed plans to launch its latest smart charger in Australia, promising it could provide users with data on when electricity in the national grid is both greenest and cheapest.

The launch comes after a Queensland study by two energy providers found electric vehicle owners were highly responsive to changing electricity prices and sources, with many choosing to recharge vehicles during the day or in the middle of the night.

Evnex chief executive Ed Harvey said the Christchurch-based company had decided to launch its next charger in Australia to help EV owners use the most eco-friendly power sources.

Environmental concerns were among the major reasons consumers were buying electric vehicles, Harvey said, but many found it difficult to identify the best times to recharge their cars.

“One of the criticisms of electric vehicles sometimes is people say if it’s charged from coal it’s not much better but being able to accurately report on where the electricity has come from lets users say, ‘Look, this is where the electricity has come from’,” he said.

“It’s good to be able to inform people with hard data about how these things actually work.”

The $1395 Evnex E2 charger will come with software showing a breakdown of electricity sources in the grid, which Harvey said could vary greatly depending on the state and the time of day.

“In South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania the carbon intensity in the grid can change by a factor of six or seven over a period of 24 hours,” he said.

“The cleanliness of the grid can go from 90 to 100% renewable (energy) down to 20 or 30% in some states.”

Other eco-friendly in-home charging options available in Australia include solar inverters, like those from SolarEdge and Wallbox, that can be used to charge vehicles directly from a home’s solar panels.

A study of the recharging behaviour of 167 electric car owners in Queensland found many were already charging their vehicles at odd hours to make use of solar power or cheaper electricity prices.

The Energex and Ergon Energy research found many EV owners were recharging their cars in off-peak times between 1am and 6am, while others with solar panels installed were choosing to power up their vehicles between 9am and 3pm.

“Daytime charging at home illustrates the sensible use of solar generation,” the report noted.

The Electric Vehicle Council estimates there are more than 100,000 battery-powered vehicles in Australia and electric cars made up 7.7% of new vehicle sales in May this year, up from 3.8% in 2022.

This article was first published by AAP.