Supported by more than $12 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), JET Charge says the new initiative bundles all necessary electric vehicle (EV) charging products, technologies and services into a subsidised solution that is cheaper than refuelling a commercial car fleet with petrol.

The company’s Charging as a Service works on a subscription model with no upfront installation costs for businesses, who can install the hardware and technologies at both their commercial premises and employee’s homes. JET Charge describes the solution as a “fuel-card-like experience” that is inclusive of installation, repairs and ongoing reporting.

The initiative has been supported by the government, via ARENA, because it says the approach will accelerate the electrification of Australia’s transport fleets which account for 50% of new vehicle sales in Australia. 

“Greater uptake among fleets will help grow a second-hand market and help get more Australians behind the wheel of an EV,” the statement from Chris Bowen, Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy, said. Bowen attended the JET Charge launch on Wednesday in Port Melbourne alongside ARENA CEO Darren Miller.

The project is expected to help drive the uptake of more than 3,100 EVs over the next three years, according to Bowen.

While Australia has lagged in its uptake of electric vehicles, Bowen noted that EV’s have now jumped from 2% of new car sales in May 2022 to almost 9% today.

In order to access JET Charge’s subsidised Charging as a Service offer, participants

• must be an Australian business fleet operator.
• must consent to JET Charge gathering charging activity data.
• must consent to any data gathered being shared in anonymised form as part of project reporting.
• each subsidised charger must be aligned to a unique electric vehicle.

While details on the cost of the “full service” monthly JET Charge subscription are not provided, Bowen’s media release notes that petrol vehicle cost around $2,400 per year to drive on average, indicating something in this ballpark.