Case Study
156-lot Melbourne apartment building makes every car space EV ready for its residents
Project overview
A 156-lot strata building in Melbourne, on the edge of Albert Park Lake, has introduced apartment EV charging for its residents. Almost 20% of lots reserved a Charge Point in the first round, and every other car space can be added later on the same backbone. The car park runs over four basement levels, with no Wi-Fi.
Project at a glance
156 lots, around 150 resident car spaces across 4 basement levels
Almost 20% of lots reserved a Charge Point in the first round
Every other lot can add one later, at its own car space, on the same backbone
About 70% of lots are investor-owned or short-stay
No basement Wi-Fi needed
Why the committee chose ReadySteadyPlug
The committee reviewed two proposals. In its own letter to residents, it explained that ReadySteadyPlug offered the best value and did not need extra capital works such as Wi-Fi in the basement.
The Owners Corporation installs the EV charging backbone once. Each lot then decides if and when to add a Charge Point at its own car space, and later rounds can add more car spaces without the Owners Corporation upgrading the backbone.
How the rollout ran
The OC Chair, building manager and OC manager led the campaign, and ReadySteadyPlug supported them with materials and a sign-up system for residents and owners:
Spread the word. The OC wrote to residents and lot owners, and flyers went up around the building linking to a short residents guide and a reservation page.
Answer the questions. An online information session gave residents and owners the chance to ask the ReadySteadyPlug team directly.
Get the bays right. Every registered car space was checked against the building's plans, so each Charge Point went in the right bay first time.
Tenants were part of the process from the start. They were asked to get their landlord's or managing agent's permission before reserving, so owners stayed in control of their asset.
What was installed
Each participating lot has a standard 15A outlet at its own car space, connected to EV Charging Distribution Boards in the car park. A licensed local installer partner carried out the work, and the system runs without Wi-Fi in the basement.
How it's managed
Each Charge Point is individually metered and billed, so residents pay only for the electricity they use. Dynamic load management keeps charging within the building's existing electrical capacity.
Residents control charging from their phone. Each Charge Point pairs to the resident's account, so a neighbour can't use it, and when someone moves out they unpair and the next occupant pairs in their place. Residents also choose the pricing plan that suits how much they drive, right in the app, a change made after feedback at the building's information session.
What's next for the building
The building now has EV charging at each resident's own car space, with almost 20% of lots on board in the first round. The rest of the building doesn't have to decide now. When an owner or resident is ready, they add a Charge Point at their own car space, on the same backbone, without the committee having to start again.
For the committee, the question "can I install a charger?" now has a one-line answer: yes, on the building's network.
“I really do appreciate ReadySteadyPlug’s flexibility. It gives me confidence we have chosen the right provider to partner with long term.”
Thinking about EV charging for your building?
Tell us about your building and we'll come back to you with an estimate and the next steps. Read more about strata EV charging or see our other case studies.