In October 2023, the National Construction Code was updated with a minimum requirement for all new developments to provide electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Ampol operates EV charging businesses in Australia under AmpCharge and in New Zealand under Z Energy. Mark Ayers, Business Development Manager shares the company’s strategy as well as considerations for EV charging in shopping centres.

In May 2021, Ampol released its Future Energy and Decarbonisation Strategies outlining plans to transition the business to future fuel and energy solutions in line with customer demand and technology availability. Our ambition is to achieve net-zero emissions (Scope 1 and 2) across our Australian operations by 2040.

One of our core focuses in achieving this is to provide customers with an end-to-end Electric Vehicle (EV) solution as the use of EVs increases. We are tailoring our products and services as our customer’s needs evolve, enabling them to transition to using EVs seamlessly.

In 2022, Ampol launched its EV charging brand AmpCharge, with the ambition to rollout more than 300 AmpCharge EV charging bays at over 100 Australian sites during 2023/2024. In the past 18 months, Ampol has delivered more than 60 charging bays at more than 25 AmpCharge sites with more being installed every month.

Shopping centres: an integral part of the EV charging ecosystem

Multiple studies have shown that destination locations such as shopping centres are the most popular type of public charging location for EV owners, regardless of a customer’s accessibility to other types of charging. Through this research, Ampol understands that customers are using various types of charging solutions and locations compared to how they would currently fuel their car with traditional fuel.

Shopping centres are the epitome of a ‘destination’ charging location as they meet the desired outcomes for both the customer and the landlord. EV chargers provide another amenity for customers, which will attract them to your shopping centre and increase foot traffic, and they also provide a charging solution that allows customers to shop while their car charges, tapping into customers’ habitual weekly and daily needs.

With a focus on understanding customer behaviours, Ampol is working through solutions across the whole EV charging ecosystem to provide customer centric charging solutions whenever and wherever they are needed, including destination locations (shopping centres), on the go (petrol stations), workplace and home.

To help launch Ampol and AmpCharge into shopping centres, Ampol has partnered with Mirvac to deliver EV charging bays across Mirvac’s retail portfolio. Mirvac Retail General Manager Kelly Miller said: “Since launching fast chargers, Mirvac has seen a significant rise in usage of charging stations across the portfolio, with a 60% increase in customer utilisation in the past year.”

Ampol Executive General Manager, International and New Business, Brent Merrick, said: “Ampol continues to build its AmpCharge network so customers can charge with us wherever and whenever they need. This partnership with Mirvac will allow us to expand our offer beyond the forecourt to destinations like Mirvac’s leading property network.”

Customer considerations

AmpCharge EV charging infrastructure is compatible with all EVs currently on the road, including Tesla, Hyundai, BYD, Ford and more. An important consideration when selecting charger types is customer dwell time – ie. how long the customer is likely to stay at the location and therefore use the charger.

For shopping centres, we recommend DC chargers, also known as ‘fast chargers’, which support a dwell time of about one hour. We also offer an AC charging solution, which supports a dwell time of three hours plus – ideal for the home or workplace.

Market research studies have found that the majority of customers prefer faster charging speeds, like those provided by DC charging infrastructure, aligning with customers’ desired dwell times. However, we understand that there is a need for both DC and AC charging infrastructure and can provide tailored solutions.

As well as compatibility and fast speeds, our 24/7 customer service team is on hand to provide support for customers across all AmpCharge locations. Customers can contact the customer service team via the Ampol App or support number found on all AmpCharge charging infrastructure. This ensures that customer enquiries come directly to Ampol alleviating demand on centre management teams. Our customer service team responds to technical issues as well as questions on how to charge.

Another important customer experience consideration is the visibility and awareness of charging bays. Clear directional signage must be deployed to allow customers to easily find charging bays. Charging bay locations should also be clearly marked to ensure that only EVs can park and charge there.

Setting up for EV charging success

Installing EV charging infrastructure can be overwhelming at first as there are many factors to consider, not only in the installation process, but also in maintenance and operations.

Key things to consider, include:

• Procuring charging hardware
• DNSP engagement and network upgrades
• Customer experience and support
• Asset management including plans to ensure reliability and compliance, health, safety and environmental risks.

If possible, electrical capacity provisions should be made for the installation of EV charging infrastructure at the development stage of shopping centre construction, or in any planned works for an existing shopping centre. This will negate the most difficult part of installing and connecting the capacity needed to power the EV charging infrastructure.

It is always recommended to engage industry experts to provide guidance and solutions to help navigate through the process.

Benefits for the local community and the environment

It is estimated that by 2030, 50% of new cars purchased in Australia will be EVs. With this in mind, shopping centres will be integral to supporting the transition to EVs through the installation of EV charging infrastructure. The installation of EV charging infrastructure can also support shopping centres’ sustainability reporting and efforts to achieve net-zero targets.

As EV charging infrastructure begins to rollout across shopping centres, there is an opportunity to also educate customers by engaging with EV manufacturers on promotional events such as EV test drives and display cars. We work closely with EV manufacturers and can provide introductions to help facilitate promotional opportunities.

Outlook

We are on the cusp of an exciting change that will bring many opportunities for shopping centres across Australia and New Zealand. Not only is this change exciting, but it is also rapidly approaching. The solutions on the market now will become more sophisticated as the industry matures and technology evolves.

Some exciting developments we will see in the short term include:

• The ability to link payment solutions with reward cards and loyalty programs
• API integrations with opportunities for cross promotion and payment solutions with a single customer experience.
• Data that provides more sophisticated insights into customers habits, dwell times and travel cadence.

Ampol is committed to long-term partnerships with shopping centres to provide the best possible customer experience. We bring vast experience in providing mobility solutions and the ability to evolve to deliver our partners best-in-class solutions.

This article is featured in the latest edition of SCN magazine.