Fuel company BP has started installing electric vehicle (EV) fast-chargers at its service stations.
The network is to be branded BP Pulse, with the company saying it has plans for 600 charging points in Australia – without proffering a timeline – part of 100,000 chargers planned globally.
BP says it wants to build “the country’s most convenient fast-charging EV network and customer experience”, though of course it’s all about finding new profit opportunities and remaining relevant as EVs proliferate.
The petroleum giant’s global CEO, Bernard Looney, was on hand to open a new site in Brighton East, an expensive suburb in Melbourne. Sites in Diamond Creek (outer Melbourne) and Caboolture (Queensland) have also opened to the public.
“It’s brilliant to get BP Pulse underway in Australia, delivering a high-speed, high-quality charging experience to help accelerate the transition to electric vehicles,” Mr Looney said.
The first phase of the rollout will see chargers installed at “key metropolitan and regional” BP retail locations along Australia’s east coast, at service stations stocked with food and drinks.
“We want to provide our customers with a fantastic experience and meet their needs, irrespective of their choice of mobility,” claimed BP Australia president Frédéric Baudry.
“We will be on the journey with them through this decade and beyond with growing numbers of fast, reliable chargers at convenient locations with great retail options, whether they want to eat, drink or shop.”
Brisbane-based manufacturer Tritium is supplying the chargers as part of a multi-year contract to deliver for BP’s UK, Australian and New Zealand markets.
Each Tritium charger has two connectors and can charge two vehicles simultaneously. In 2023, new and existing chargers will be connected to high-power grid connections that will enable charging speeds of up to 150kW.
BP joins rival Ampol in this space, both companies leveraging their massive network of real estate and eager to pivot for next-generation mobility.
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