NRMA to build EV fast charging network | The NRMA $10 million for 40 chargers (~$250K each) seems like a lot, any idea what WA, QLD or SA works out as? I don’t think Tesla superchargers cost this much but they put more chargers per site which must be cheaper. Edit: related report https://www.mynrma.com.au/-/media/documents/advocacy/the-future-is-electric.pdf?la=en
It could be that they are following best practices by having multiple DCFC at each stop, like how Tesla does Superchargers... one of the benefits to being later to the Electric Highway game is you can learn from others mistakes... Additionally, if they're installing higher power standards DCFC, I'm assuming that the pricing will be higher (I don't know for sure, just hypothesizing.)
Lots of little construction extras that add to the cost depending on each site location, plus marketing, they'll be no shortage of that. Great concept by the NRMA.
That would be for the charger itself though. There is a hell of a lot more cost in civil and engineering works (excavation, conduit, landscaping, etc) to install them than anything else. Sometimes the power supply to the area needs to be upgraded. A few thousand in fees to the power company.. it all adds up. Also I would think it likely that they would install 150 kW units today.
I wouldn't go speculating on what kind of equipment is going on these sites just yet guys. But as @Chuq points out, there is a lot more cost than the hardware itself.
"Our first charger is already in place in Western Sydney, outside the NRMA’s new office at Sydney Olympic Park." Source If anybody is out that way, it'd be good to know what sort of connection they require. This network could be useful as it rolls out this year.
That one has been there for a while. Previously a CHADEMO that broke down and was replaced recently with a Vefill CHADEMO and CCS1 charger. I think it was installed prior to CCS2 becoming the favoured standard. It on Plugshare here: NRMA Olympic Park http://api.plugshare.com/view/location/124635 Or 9 Murray Rose Ave Olympic Park.
I'm using it right now with the Chademo adapter. The cable won't reach without pulling into the space in front a bit which isn't marked as a charging space. It meant getting as close as possible to the car in front without touching it.
I used it last week for the first time with my LEAF (which has a Chademo port). With the LEAF there is the opposite problem, you have to park as far back in the spot as legally possible, and as close to the kerb as possible, and the Chademo cable just reaches the LEAF charge port at the front. I didn't need much of a charge, I only used it because I'd never DC fast charged my LEAF ever in 3 years. It went from 71% to 80% in only a few minutes.
I was thinking the position is a compromise between Tesla and Leaf. Hopefully anymore like this have a slightly longer cable.
Hopefully they've learned this (kerbside location) is a pretty poor layout for an EV charging station!
You would have thought Tritium, with all their experience, could have advised the nations largest automotive club on how best to install a DCFC. Perhaps someone at NRMA thought it looked pretty stuck right at the front door. Der!
Angle parking is also a problem, especially if combined with a narrow one-way street so there's no room to turn the car around and reverse in, leading to desperation parking like this (in Dunsborough) Somehow people make the assumption that all EVs have charge-ports in the same place, despite that not being the case with fuel fillers in fossil cars!
How do we feed this back to the team implementing the network so that future ones don't repeat the mistake?
I'm fairly sure Greg P from AEVA has been in frequent contact with NRMA. He drives a Leaf and also co-piloted RichardMcN's Tessie to Alice Springs so I have no doubt he is aware of issues affecting many EVs.
Methinks NRMA maybe doing it for the branding opportunity rather than really providing a service.......