Mondo Power, Melbourne Electrified Freight Hub
- $12.3m Funded by ARENA
- $27.68m Total project cost
Summary
Mondo will design, build and operate a greenfield charging hub (the Mondo Charging Hub – Laverton North) consisting of ultra-fast charging infrastructure, enabling the deployment of an initial 20 heavy battery electric trucks under charging services agreements with truck operators.
Need
Charging hubs are dedicated EV charging facilities equipped with multiple chargers aimed at servicing the needs of electric vehicle fleets. Charging Hubs allow charge point operators (CPOs) the ability to leverage their expertise to develop, construct and operate strategically located sites at sufficient scale to warrant the upfront capital and development expenditure, while offering prospective fleet customers a more flexible entry point to commence or accelerate their fleet decarbonisation efforts.
Transport is fast becoming the largest emitting sector in Australia, and the decarbonisation of transport can be accelerated with vehicle electrification. A major barrier of heavy transport electrification is the lack of charging infrastructure suitable for heavy vehicles. The project establishes a fit for purpose, high-speed charging facility for heavy trucks to pioneer the charging hub concept in Australia, as well as accelerate the decarbonisation of heavy transport.
The project is the first asset in a series of electrified freight corridors Mondo is developing (including hubs and at-depot charging) to further support the decarbonisation of the freight industry.
Action
Located in Laverton North, the charging hub will consist of 14 x 350 kW dual plug electric vehicle chargers alongside 20m long charging bays designed specifically for truck operations. ARENA funding will support the installation of charging infrastructure as well as partially offsetting the total cost of ownership for 20 heavy battery electric trucks.
Mondo will enter into charging services agreements with its truck operator customers that outlines pricing and terms for charging ($/kWh), along with and storage, amenities and passenger vehicle parking options.
Outcomes
The project will achieve the following outcomes:
- Overcome barriers to accelerate uptake of heavy BEV trucks within Australia through demonstration of a shared-use charging hub solution.
- Optimise the shared-use charging hub business and operational model.
- Improve driver experience with shared access to surrounding amenities within the charging hub.
- Increase skills, capacity and knowledge relevant to developing shared-use charging hub infrastructure (including grid integration and load management requirements) and its commercial viability.
- Establish a replicable, extensible charging hub model to deploy at additional sites nationwide to further accelerate the decarbonisation of transport.
Additional Impact
Electric trucks can substantially reduce localised emissions, noise, and vibration which can achieve significant community benefits in areas with high numbers of truck movements, such as in Melbourne’s inner west.
Additionally, the Charging Hub opening for operation in 2026 can further encourage additional fleet operators to convert to electric vehicles with the confidence a dedicated 24h local charging facility can provide.
ARENAWIRE Blogs
Electrifying Road Freight: Australia’s Blueprint for a Cleaner Transport Future
Australia’s first national blueprint for battery-electric freight transition is here.
Driving change: a rural pioneer's role in Australia's clean energy shift
Discover how electric vehicles are powering homes and the grid in rural Australia through Francis Clarke’s groundbreaking V2G trial.
Community batteries, community benefits and the clean energy transition
Take a dive into community batteries and how the new technology works to power and empower communities in the clean energy transition.
