Sydney-headquartered clean energy company NOX Energy has installed 251 electric vehicle (EV) chargers for residents and commercial tenants in a new Melbourne apartment block, the Sierra Hawthorn.
Located in Hawthorn, approximately 10 kilometres east of Melbourne’s central business district (CBD), the installation is part of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency’s (ARENA) $4.7 million (USD 3.3 million) ‘Accelerating EV Adoption: Unlocking EVs for Strata Residents’ project.
The long-term goal is to deploy 2,000 of NOX Energy’s Intelligent Power Socket (IPS) Level 1 (10-15 Amp) devices in at least 16 greenfield and brownfield strata buildings across Australia.
NOX Energy said the objective of the project is to prove (or disprove) the hypothesis, that by providing a way to enable EV owners and drivers in strata buildings to easily charge their vehicles overnight and pay only their retail energy tariff rate – even when they do not own the
metered connection to which their vehicle is connected – will reduce barriers to EV adoption and drive uptake.
Each of the Hawthorn apartment complex residents will have EV charging access directly from their allocated parking space.
The installation includes 241 IPS for each residential unit in the building, and for commercials tenants, 10 IPS and one, Taiwan-headquartered MSI 22 kW charger, which operates on the same NOX energy load management and payment gateway.
Image: NOX Energy
NOX Energy Co-Founder Charlie Richardson said the project shows that EV charging doesn’t need to involve large-scale electrical upgrades or expensive infrastructure.
“By using smart power points and intelligent load management, we can ensure every resident has access to their own charger at a fraction of the cost of traditional solutions,” Richardson said.
“[The project] foreshadows the rapid expansion of inexpensive charging facilities in apartments, townhouses, office complexes, government departments and other public carparks that can’t afford or access other charging options.”
ARENA Chief Executive Officer Darren Miller said apartment residents need to have the same access to EV charging as people who live in freestanding houses.
“This project shows how innovative, low-cost charging solutions can unlock EV uptake for people who live in apartments, one of the biggest remaining barriers to widespread electric vehicle adoption.”
Federal Minister for Energy Chris Bowen attended a launch of the system in March 2026 and said the 251 EV chargers make it the largest EV-enabled building in Australia and among the largest globally.
The installation was delivered by Port Melbourne–based electrical contractor ModTech Group and uses stainless-steel reverse-mounted ceiling bollards developed by Victoria-based Stainless Steel Associated Fabricators (SSAF) Australia.
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