Electric vehicles (EVs) help reduce air pollution and are much cheaper to run than fossil fuel vehicles. Partly because of the increasing cost of fossil fuels, EVs are becoming very popular. In August 2026, almost a quarter of all car sales in Australia were EVs.

EV charging in Merri-bek

Merri-bek is a national leader in supporting residents who wish to buy an EV. Merri-bek installed Victoria’s first EV fast charging station in 2013 and currently manages 26 public EV chargers.

These chargers are accessible through the Chargefox app.

Electricity at all Council chargers (and buildings) is 100% backed by renewable energy certificates from the Crowlands Wind Farm.

There are also non-Council public chargers in Merri-bek. All public chargers can be viewed through the PlugShare website and app.

Where can I find a Council EV charger?

• • Glenroy
    • Glenroy Community Hub, Wheatsheaf Rd, Glenroy
  • Oak Park
    • Oak Park Sports and Aquatic Centre, 563a Pascoe Vale Road, Pascoe Vale
  • Fawkner
    • CB Smith Reserve, Jukes Road, Fawkner
  • Coburg
    • Merri-bek Civic Centre, 90 Bell Street, Coburg
    • Coburg Leisure Centre, Coburg (fast charger)
    • Corner of Boundary Road and Sydney Road, Coburg North (fast charger)
  • Brunswick
    • Brunswick Mechanics Institute, David Street carpark, Brunswick
    • Edward St carpark, Brunswick (fast charger)
    • Davies Street, Brunswick
    • Wilson Avenue, Brunswick
    • Fleming Park, Cross St, Brunswick East

Council’s slow chargers have a fee of 25c/kWh and our fast chargers have a fee of 45c/kWh. Charging speed depends on a number of factors, but typically a car charged for one hour at a fast charger will receive a charge of 40kW (roughly 240km) at a cost of $7.

The fees help fund the installation, replacement and maintenance of Council-owned chargers, discourage over-stays and ensure Council chargers are not out-competing private sector chargers.

Council trials

Council is testing new solutions to support residents who wish to own an EV, particularly residents who do not have off-street parking.

Home-to-street EV charging

Up to 30 households without off-street parking have received approval to trial equipment that can run a cable from their home, along a retractable boom 2.5m above the footpath and down to power an EV. This equipment allows them to charge their EV near their home, using cheaper domestic electricity power (or free if they have a solar system). The residents do not have additional rights to the parking bay, and the equipment is fully paid for by the home-owner.  This is the first trial of overhead charging in Australia.

Power pole-mounted chargers

Council has approved the installation of several public chargers to be installed by private companies on power poles in Merri-bek. These will be 25kW AC chargers, capable of charging two cars at the same time. This equipment has been successfully installed at scale in NSW and in several Melbourne councils.

Council vehicle fleet

Merri-bek currently run a fleet of over 30 EVs. In 2026 we will increase the electrical supply at Hadfield Operations Centre to power more chargers for our fleet.

E-bike Library

Merri-bek residents can borrow e-bikes for free, for up to 2 weeks, whenever you need.

We know many people in our community want to move around more affordably, sustainably and without the stress of traffic! But the up-front cost of buying an e-bike is a big barrier, especially for those struggling with cost-of-living pressures.

We’ve partnered with local bike shop Cargocycles and Sussex and Fawkner Neighbourhood Houses to provide access to standard e-bikes and e-cargo bikes.

Read more about the library and how to book here.

E-bike subsidies

Since 2021, Merri-bek has provided 292 e-cargo bike subscription or purchase subsidies.

Subsidies have been delivered through our Ride & Stride program for parents at primary schools to increase active transport use for the school run and care-related travel.

In response to the 2026 global fuel crisis, we expanded the program to include parents at childcares & kindergartens as well as primary schools.

You can read about our past subsidy programs here & here.

Council e-bike fleet

We support staff to travel by bike where they can, and have a fleet of 6 e-bikes and 1 e-cargo bike!

Read about how our e-cargo bike provides hassle-free, fast and reliable transport for staff.