Another 5000 free fast chargers are coming to Australia with vast JOLT network to cover the country

The JOLT charging network is set to expand nationally, with an announcement that another 5000 free fast chargers are coming to Australia.

JOLT is already a charging force in Adelaide, where it recently opened its 16th fast-charging station. But a sizeable $100m pledge from asset management giant – and recent investor in JOLT – Blackrock will see the company expand to capital cities across the country.

The JOLT charging model is unique in that it’s free, to a point, and then charged beyond it. So drivers can take on 7kWh of charge at no cost – essentially enough to get them home or to their next destination – but will have to pay for power beyond that point.

There is then an idle charge of $5 for every 30 minutes that customers remain plugged in once their is full, in order to encourage people to move on and free up the charger.

JOLT says it only provides energy from renewable sources, and further subsidises costs by selling advertising space on its chargers.

The roll-out will begin in Sydney in September before expanding across the country, but the company is yet to detail exact locations, or what type of chargers will be used. In Adelaide, the network consists of 25kWh DC chargers with CSS2 or CHAdeMO connectors.