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Sydney-headquartered electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions group EVSE will increase its presence by more than 230 locations after acquiring the Australia and New Zealand EV charging network of French company ENGIE for an undisclosed sum.
Affiliated with digital smart metering company Intellihub since it was acquired by Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) in late 2023, EVSE has been rapidly growing its national footprint with 15,000 chargers installed since it was founded by Sam Korkees and Brendan Wheeler in 2014.
The ENGIE deal has "instantly expanded" EVSE's operations by adding high-traffic sites including Chadstone, Australia’s largest shopping centre located in Victoria, Chatswood Chase in Sydney and other key locations. These stations utilise DC chargers, which can top up EV batteries quickly, sometimes in as little as 30 minutes.
According to co-founder and CEO Brendan Wheeler, EVSE also has a pre-existing footprint of 4,200 charge points on the Exploren network, a third of which are for public charging with the remainder being in fleet depots, apartments, offices and homes across Australia and New Zealand.
"This acquisition complements the existing network by adding 230-plus high-powered DC charging locations, and enables us to connect home, workplace and on-the-go charging together seamlessly for our customers and partners," he says.
He says the Exploren charging network is the fastest-growing of its kind in Australia, and its customers will now have even greater convenience and support with the addition of ENGIE's high-visibility locations.
"The Exploren Charging Network simplifies the way in which customers access EV public charging solutions by providing a singular payment interface for sites across the country," Wheeler says.
"This transaction is a critical piece in the puzzle of delivering seamless charging access at home, at work and on the road."
The Australian EV market hit a new record in 2024 with the Electric Vehicle Council reporting sales of 91,000 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and 23,000 PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles), representing a 16 per cent year-on-year increase or the combined total.
"Year after year, electric vehicle sales in Australia continue to climb, proving that demand for cleaner, more affordable driving is here and it’s rising," the council's head of policy, legal and advocacy Aman Gaur said earlier this year.
"This growth includes an increase in the share of BEVs sold in Australia, with pure electric vehicles still making up the majority of overall EV sales.
"The 2024 electric vehicle sales results are encouraging, especially in a year when Australians were smashed by high interest rates and the high cost of living. It was also a year in which some states prematurely withdrew crucial incentives that would have boosted adoption further."
Gaur said that an increase in charging infrastructure, wider range of models at more competitive prices, and the continuation of key purchase incentives have all played a crucial role in encouraging the next wave of EV owners to buy.
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