An innovative fix to one of the biggest headaches in electric vehicle ownership — charging without a driveway — could soon be on the horizon, and it’s being tested right here in Australia.
Up to 20 Merri-bek residents, in Melbourne’s inner north, will soon take part in a new trial of boom-mounted EV chargers, designed to let people charge their cars from home without running dangerous cables across public footpaths.
Across Australia, not having off-street parking is one of the biggest barriers for people looking to switch to electric vehicles. It leaves countless drivers struggling to find safe, convenient ways to charge their vehicles overnight.
The project has been green-lit by Merri-bek City Council — which covers prominent suburbs including Brunswick, Coburg and Pascoe Val — and operates in collaboration with Vehicles Charging Solutions Australia (VCSA), the company behind the retractable boom.
Speaking to Yahoo News, Merri-bek City Council Mayor Helen Davidson said she hopes the trial will be a game-changer to residents hoping to charge their EVs from home.
“We are excited to partner with Merri-bek-based start-up Vehicle Charging Solutions Australia (VCSA) to trial a home-to-street boom-mounted charging solution for electric vehicles at people’s homes,” she said.
“Council regularly receives enquiries from residents who would like to charge their car at home but don’t have off-street parking, such as a driveway. The home-to-street boom-mounted charging solution could remove this barrier to EV ownership for some Merri-bek residents.
“We look forward to trialling this innovative solution and hearing participants’ feedback.”
How the trial for the EV boom charger will work
Since the trial began in September, the council has received significant interest and is confident that all 20 places will be filled. In the coming weeks, VCSA and council officers will carry out site visits ahead of the installations, which are expected to take place in November and December.
According to Merri-bek, many locals have expressed frustration at being unable to go electric because they don’t have off-street parking. Council officials say demand for public chargers has exploded in recent times, with more than 100 charging sessions running every day across its network.
In response, it has commissioned the trial of the retractable boom charger, which essentially is a slim metal arm that extends from a post in the front garden, arching over the footpath to suspend a charging cable safely above head height and out to the car parked on the street.
The pole set-up keeps footpaths completely clear, avoiding the need for underground cabling or trip-hazard cords across the pavement. It can also purportedly be installed much faster and more cheaply than traditional chargers.
The boom and post system costs between $2,000 and $3,000, which includes the equipment, installation, and a 15-metre charging cable, The Driven reported. Participants will cover the cost of the charger and the boom, while VCSA will handle the installation at their homes and take responsibility for ongoing maintenance, council confirmed.
The boom-mounted electric vehicle charger is raised across the footpath, preventing obstruction. Source: Merri-bek City Council/VCSA
EV charger installation costs vary widely — from around $1,000 for a simple home wall unit to many thousands of dollars for street-side or public chargers, where trenching, cabling, and council permits can quickly drive up the price. Running a charging cable across a public footpath is generally prohibited by councils due to safety risks, making the boom-mounted system a more compliant and realistic option for residents without driveways.
The issue isn’t just Victoria-specific, data shows that, in fact, it was one of the “top issues” raised with community reporting app Snap Send Solve last year.
“As the popularity of EVs has grown, and with it, the availability of exclusive EV parking spots, we’ve seen an increasing number of reports of ICE cars parking illegally in EV-designated spots,” CEO Danny Gorog had earlier told Yahoo.
Parking like this to charge an EV isn’t allowed in most circumstances. Source: Facebook/Snap Send Solve
What’s next?
To join the trial, Merri-bek residents can register their interest, but there are a few conditions. Applicants must own the property, have no off-street parking, and not be located within a Heritage Overlay area.
If successful, the system could be a game-changer for city residents across Australia, where dense housing and limited parking have long been seen as major barriers to EV uptake.
VCSA hopes to expand the technology to other councils, but said it depends on securing local government and safety regulator approvals first. Once that happens, installations could roll out widely across suburban streets.
Merri-bek was was the first council in Victoria to install a public fast charger back in 2013, and since then has added 22 public chargers plus 12 more at council sites. Trial participants will obtain a permit from the council, as mandated by the Road Management Act, to ensure that public safety requirements are properly addressed
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