Inside Woolworths' $19 million EV charging hub

A vacant site in New South Wales will soon power the sustainability ambitions of supermarket giant Woolworths.

With support from an $8.5 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), Zenobē will establish the offsite truck-charging hub at the site in South Sydney. 

Integrated as part of an electric vehicle as a service (EVaaS) model, the solution is designed to allow the supermarket to expand its fleet of electric home delivery trucks to help meet its commitment to operate a 100% electric home delivery fleet by 2030. 

The EV project includes a $19 million charging hub and the leasing of 60 BEV trucks to the supermarket to form part of its home delivery fleet. The site will also have the capacity to accommodate additional BEV trucks to create a multi-user facility. The site will be powered by a renewable energy tariff and be built with energy optimisation at its core. It includes 22 dual port DC chargers integrated with Zenobē’s smart charging software and a second life battery, made from repurposed EV batteries.

Nicholas Beatty, Founder and Director, Zenobē said: “It is fantastic to see the Australian Government supporting innovative and ambitious projects to decarbonise our transport network. Zenobē has a strong track record of working with governments and partners across the globe to deliver transport decarbonisation projects that maximise green investments, and this project exemplifies that outcome. Our model ensures Woolworths can focus on their core business, while we design, finance, build and operate the infrastructure that delivers on their sustainability ambitions.”

Image caption: Illustrated render of the site. Image credit: Zenobē