A user spotted the EV charger hanging from its internal cables. Photo: Canberra Notice Board Group, Facebook.
The ACT Government’s plan to mount electric vehicle chargers on streetlight poles has hit a hurdle, after the city’s only trial charger was found broken off and dangling by its cables over the weekend.
The device – initially installed on Eastlake Parade at Kingston Foreshore in mid-2024 as part of a six-month pilot program – was spotted hanging precariously on Saturday afternoon (15 November).
A local EV owner posted a photo to the Canberra Notice Board Group, saying she “never knew they had street charging ports on Eastlake Pde. A bit dodgy, so reported to Access Canberra”.
While commenters quickly blamed vandalism, the ACT Government said that wasn’t the cause.
In response to questions from Region, a spokesperson confirmed the charger was damaged at about 2 pm and repaired roughly an hour later.
“The damage does not appear to have been caused by vandalism, rather unintentional misuse and/or a faulty door locking mechanism,” the spokesperson said.
The charger – as it’s meant to appear. Photo: James Coleman.
The Kingston Foreshore charger was designed to test whether Canberra’s existing streetlight network could support public EV charging – an approach increasingly adopted in major cities overseas, including London, Los Angeles and Hamburg, and here in Australia in Melbourne.
The ACT’s trial aimed to gauge the charger’s power draw, test the reliability of connecting charging infrastructure to streetlight wiring, and examine how well the system worked given that many poles aren’t powered during daylight hours.
Despite the weekend’s mishap, the government says usage to date has been “consistent” and user feedback “positive”.
As part of the trial, the charger is free to use. Photo: James Coleman.
The Kingston pole had been selected because it sat near residential buildings and commercial traders; the adjacent two-hour parking space became EV-only during the trial.
At the time of installation, Minister for City Services Tara Cheyne said using existing poles would be “a convenient option for motorists and a great way to increase EV charging options without the need for additional infrastructure”.
The concept is said to eliminate earthworks, reduce visual clutter and take advantage of locations already well lit and adjacent to the kerb.
The ACT Government says it remains interested in wider use of streetlight chargers, given the “extensive footprint” of the lighting network, but acknowledges the technology is not ready for a city-wide rollout.
“There are some engineering challenges that will need to be addressed prior to widespread adoption of streetlight chargers,” the spokesperson said.
Chief among these are mechanical issues such as those seen on Saturday, as well as technical ones – ensuring the local energy grid can handle the extra demand and streetlights can be energised during the day (not all of them are).
The charger is back up and running. Photo: Canberra Notice Board Group, Facebook.
The government is working with local electricity provider Evoenergy to finalise assessment of the charger’s performance.
A full report on the trial is expected later this year, which will inform whether additional streetlight-mounted chargers are proposed across town centres or higher-density suburbs.
“The power draw from the electrical network is a critical element that will need to be considered to determine the viability of a larger rollout,” the ACT Government told Region earlier this year.
Given the weekend’s incident, the government says it will also consider additional measures to protect chargers in public spaces if the technology proceeds.
“The placement of EV streetlight chargers in public spaces with high levels of passive surveillance and CCTV cameras nearby are steps that may be taken to reduce the risk of vandalism,” the spokesperson said this week.
For now, the Kingston charger is back in operation along Eastlake Parade and free to use for EV owners.
