World first for Gold Coast as new EV fast charger unveiled

Queensland-based EV charging technology developer Tritium has installed the first of its RTM75 75KW DC fast chargers, catering for EV drivers in Australia’s tourism capital.

Developed in the company’s Brisbane headquarters, the RTM75 charger is 50% faster than existing 50 kW EV chargers, delivering 75km of range to an EV in 10 minutes of charging. The charger allows for simultaneous charging of two vehicles at once and, measuring 1998mm x 850mm x 309mm, is built with urban, retail, fleet and public environments in mind.

The RTM75 is the first charger introduced to the market featuring Tritium’s Modular Scalable Charging (MSC) hardware platform which enables the charger to be scaled up to 350 kW in increments of 25 kW as demand increases. The modular platform does away with the need to replace old platforms to install faster charging units as EV uptake accelerates.

“This has been something the industry and our customers have asked for over the years, and we are the first company in the world to deliver it,” Tritium CEO Jane Hunter said.

“With our MSC platform … chargers can quickly be upgraded to 75kW, 100kW, and beyond, without a rip-and-replace required.”

In a statement, Tritium said the RTM75 supports all charging standards on the market, including CCS and CHAdeMO, and satisfies the needs of all batteries up to 920V. The RTM75 is equipped with Plug and Charge (ISO 15118) technology, eliminating the need for credit card payments or RFID authentication at the charger.

The liquid-cooled RTM75 is also the first to deliver Whisper Mode quiet charging, while the sealed unit protects the electronics from dust, water, salt and other contaminants, reducing the need for maintenance.

Tritium founder and chief growth officer Dr David Finn said the RTM75 provides the flexibility, capital efficiency and scalability customers want.

“The electrification of transportation is at tipping point, so our customers want to know how they can easily extend their charging site capacity over the coming years. They want no regrets and capital efficient scaling of their charging sites.

“Tritium’s MSC hardware platform allows our customers to scale their charging sites for half the price and configure their charging sites for a desired reliability.”

The charger installed in the Gold Coast suburb of Broadbeach on Tuesday is the first in a network of 10 chargers which will be rolled out across the city in the coming weeks. Charging stations will be installed at locations from Pimpama on the northern edge of the city to Coolangatta in the south to provide EV drivers with the necessary infrastructure as well as catering to anticipated demand.

The installation comes at a time of heightened interest in EVs in Australia with the sale of EVs and the installation of chargers on the rise in Australia over the last couple of years.

Electric cars still however only make up 0.6% of new vehicle sales in the country, lagging well behind many other developed nations, and one of the reasons the adoption of EVs has been so low in Australia is a lack of a reliable charging network.

Queensland’s Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the Gold Coast fast-charger network will anchor the Queensland Electric Super Highway of 31 fast-charging sites enabling travel from Coolangatta to Cairns and from Brisbane west to Toowoomba in a low or zero emissions EV.

Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate said the EV chargers would help showcase the city as an innovative destination, committed to a greener future.

Tate said the power used to charge vehicles at the new charging stations will be offset by power generated by the city’s Virtual Power Plant, which harnesses solar PV energy from more than 47 city buildings.