A restored Fremantle terrace with EV charging tucked away in the rear laneway.
Fremantle · 6160

EV charger installation in Fremantle.

Heritage limestone, tight streets, and homeowners who care as much about how the install looks as how it charges.

The install

What a Fremantle install actually looks like

Fremantle homes fall into three broad camps. Nineteenth century limestone terraces near the port, weatherboard workers cottages through South Fremantle, and modern townhouses in the White Gum Valley pocket. Each one gets a slightly different install and a slightly different cable strategy.

The heritage stone homes are the hardest. You cannot chase into the wall and you cannot leave conduit dangling across the facade. We plan the cable through the rear yard, up an internal wall of the laundry, and into the switchboard on the interior side. It takes longer to plan than to fit.

The other Fremantle constant is parking. A lot of homes here park in the ROW at the back rather than the street. That means the charger sits on the rear laneway wall, and the cable run is often shorter than in Cottesloe. Good news for cost and simplicity.

Neat entry drilled through painted stone. Sealed the same day so no water gets in behind.
Neat entry drilled through painted stone. Sealed the same day so no water gets in behind.
A Fremantle ROW with charging where the car actually parks, not where it looks tidy.
A Fremantle ROW with charging where the car actually parks, not where it looks tidy.

Solar first

Solar in Freo is patchy and it matters

The port side of Fremantle has less solar than most of Perth. Small roofs, heritage restrictions, and shaded south facing pitches all conspire against decent PV. If you are in East Fremantle or South Fremantle the picture flips, with solar on maybe seventy percent of homes.

For the solar heavy pocket, a solar diverting charger is the obvious pick. For the port side, a schedule based smart charger on off peak tariff makes more financial sense than adding solar just for the car.

Recent install

A recent Fremantle install

Location
South Terrace, Fremantle 6160
The home
1890s limestone terrace, no solar, single phase, rear ROW parking.
The charger
Earth EV Home Charger, hardwired, mounted on the painted stone wall of the ROW carport.
Outcome
Cable run of only 6 metres from the internal switchboard to the ROW. New RCBO added. Charger commissioned on off peak tariff. Four hours on site.
Zappi GLO on painted heritage stone. The soft ring reads from across the yard.
Zappi GLO on painted heritage stone. The soft ring reads from across the yard.
Local considerations

What to know before install day in Fremantle

  • Fremantle Council has one of the stricter heritage regimes in Perth. Anything visible from the street on a listed property needs planning.
  • ROW parking is only useful for charging if you have owner rights over it. Get title checked before you commit to a rear mounted install.
  • The salt exposure in West End and North Fremantle is heavier than most of Perth. Coastal grade fixings are non negotiable.
FAQ

Fremantle EV charging questions

My Fremantle house is heritage listed. Can I still install an EV charger?+

Yes. The charger itself is not the issue. It is the visibility of the cable run and the fixing points. We plan every heritage install to keep the facade untouched, which is normally possible even on the most restricted properties.

I park in the ROW at the back. Is that a problem?+

No, it is often ideal. The cable run is shorter, the charger sits out of the streetscape, and you charge where you actually park. We do a lot of ROW mounted installs in Freo.

How does the salt air affect a Fremantle charger long term?+

Fine, if the hardware is spec'd for it. We only install sealed IP65 rated chargers in Fremantle and we use marine grade stainless throughout. No brass, no zinc plated fixings.

Perth FAQ

EV charger installation in Perth, answered

The questions we get asked most by WA homeowners, answered by the electricians who do the work.

Does Western Power need to be notified about my EV charger?+

For a standard single phase 7kW charger on an existing supply, no separate application is usually needed. Your electrician still lodges the required notice of completion with Building and Energy WA. If the install needs a bigger main switch, a service upgrade, or a move to three phase, that does go to Western Power first and it adds time to the job, so we check it before quoting.

Is single phase or three phase more common in Perth homes?+

Most Perth houses are single phase, which caps a home charger at about 7.4kW. Newer estates in areas like Ellenbrook, Baldivis and Canning Vale are more likely to have three phase already at the board, and a lot of older knock down rebuilds get it too. Lift the switchboard cover and count the incoming actives, or send us a photo and we will tell you.

Which Synergy plan is best once I have a home charger?+

Synergy runs time of use options aimed at EV owners with a cheap overnight window and a cheaper midday window built around WA's solar surplus. Charging in those windows rather than the evening peak is where the real savings sit. Check current rates on Synergy's site before switching, because the windows and prices change.

Should I charge from my solar instead of the grid in Perth?+

Usually yes. WA feed in tariffs are low, so exporting midday solar earns you very little while grid power costs several times more. A solar aware charger such as a myenergi Zappi or Fronius Wattpilot watches your export at the switchboard and pushes surplus into the car instead of sending it out for a few cents.

Do coastal Perth suburbs need a different charger?+

If you are in the salt spray zone near the coast from Mullaloo through Scarborough, Cottesloe and Fremantle, outdoor units cop corrosion. We fit chargers rated IP65 or better, use stainless or marine grade fixings, and where possible mount the unit inside the garage with only the tethered lead exposed.

What about summer heat and charger derating?+

Perth summers regularly sit over 40C, and a charger baking in full afternoon sun can throttle its output to protect itself. West and north facing walls are the worst spots. We site the unit in shade or under eaves where we can, which keeps it charging at full rate and extends the life of the electronics.

Can I get a charger installed in a Perth apartment or strata complex?+

Yes, but it is a different job to a house. You need strata approval, a metering plan so the electricity bills back to your lot rather than common property, and often a load managed charger so the building's supply is not overloaded. We put that documentation together for the strata council as part of the quote.

How does a limestone driveway or brick paving affect the cable run?+

Plenty of Perth homes have the switchboard on one side and the parking on the other, with paving or limestone in between. Where we can, we run the cable through the roof space or along the eaves to avoid lifting anything. When trenching is unavoidable we lift and relay pavers rather than cut them, and that extra work is priced up front, not added later.

Are there WA rebates for home EV chargers?+

WA does not currently run a state rebate on home charger installs. The EV rebate scheme that ran on vehicle purchases has closed. The saving comes from the tariff side instead: charging off peak or straight off your own solar. We will not quote a rebate that does not exist.

Who is legally allowed to install an EV charger in Perth?+

A licensed WA electrical contractor. The circuit has to be dedicated, protected by the correct RCD type for the charger, and wired to AS/NZS 3000 with the EV specific requirements of AS/NZS 3012 and the manufacturer's instructions. Candela is licensed under EC# 15317 and fully insured, and you get the compliance paperwork on completion.

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