AGL EVX NRMA Chargers Roam Onto ChargeFox, Will Ampol Ampcharge & bp Pulse Join in?

For business owners and corporate fleet managers navigating Australia’s electric vehicle transition, managing multiple charging apps has been a persistent frustration.

Until the last few weeks only one major Australian charging network offered roaming access. NRMA allowed ChargeFox app users to access NRMA fast chargers through the ChargeFox platform.

That landscape is changing rapidly. Recently two significant announcements have dramatically expanded the interoperability of Australia’s EV charging infrastructure, with major implications for EV fleet operations and private EV owners.

AGL Network Now Accessible via ChargeFox

AGL has announced that its network of over 150 AGL branded pole-mounted BYO cable EV chargers across Sydney is now accessible via the ChargeFox app and ChargeFox RFID cards. This partnership delivers three significant benefits.

Consolidated App Management: EV drivers can now access both ChargeFox and AGL charging infrastructure through a single app, reducing the number of accounts, payment methods, and training requirements for EV fleet managers.

RFID Card Convenience: Many fleet operators already distribute ChargeFox RFID cards to their drivers. These same cards now work seamlessly at AGL’s 150+ charging locations, eliminating the need to open any app at all. Drivers simply tap the card to start and stop charging sessions.

Price Parity: Notably, AGL is charging the same rate 38 cents per kilowatt hour whether drivers use the native AGL app or the ChargeFox platform. This transparent pricing approach removes the concern of premium roaming fees that often accompany network partnerships.

EVX Kerbside Chargers Join Chargefox

Following closely on the AGL announcement, ChargeFox has partnered with EVX to bring hundreds more kerbside EV chargers to its national platform. Currently, 120 EVX locations featuring 240 plugs are available on the ChargeFox app, with a further 28 locations in Sydney to be added soon.

EVX chargers are strategically situated at various locations in New South Wales, including Wollongong, Sydney, Ballina and Byron Bay, as well as two locations in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs. Like the AGL partnership, EVX maintains price parity charging 39 cents per kilowatt-hour off-peak and 50 cents per kilowatt-hour during peak periods, with the same rates applying whether drivers use the EVX app or ChargeFox app.

This integration is particularly significant for fleet vehicles operating in urban areas. Kerbside charging provides accessible everyday charging options for drivers without off-street parking, including apartment dwellers and renters an increasingly common demographic among younger fleet drivers.

ARENA Investment Into Growing EVX Network

The timing of the EVX partnership is notable given recent government investment in kerbside charging infrastructure. ARENA recently co-funded 250 new EVX public kerbside electric vehicle chargers which will be installed across over 60 local government areas across Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.

These ARENA-funded AC chargers are expected to be available both natively on the EVX app and through roaming access on ChargeFox, further expanding the accessible charging network for fleet operations across multiple states.

Practical Urban Charging

Both AGL and EVX pole-mounted chargers are ideal for fleet vehicles during business hours. Drivers can typically add 10-20% battery charge per hour, making these chargers perfectly suited for topping up during meetings, client visits, or lunch breaks.

The BYO cable format means drivers use their own vehicle’s Type 2 charging cable, which keeps infrastructure costs down and charger maintenance simple.

What’s Next? Future Chargefox Roaming Partnerships

The momentum behind charging network interoperability shows no signs of slowing.

ChargeFox Principal Product Manager Tom Williamson has publicly stated:

“I could never go announce anything early, but we definitely have multiple more partners coming soon, some will be quite soon, some will be a while away. We want the best outcome for drivers and roaming (industry jargon for these partnerships) helps us deliver this.”

Williamson also revealed that “there are some CPOs that won’t offer an app at all coming up and be 100% reliant on roaming for traffic”, suggesting a fundamental shift in how some charging network operators approach customer access.

For Australian EV drivers and fleet managers, two potential partnerships stand out as particularly desirable in the short term: Ampol AmpCharge and bp Pulse.

Both legacy fossil fuel companies operate DC fast charging networks with apps that are considered substandard by the Australian EV community. Many drivers would welcome the ability to uninstall these apps if both networks enabled roaming onto ChargeFox at equivalent per-kilowatt-hour pricing.

Fast charging access is especially critical for fleet operations involving longer routes or vehicles that need rapid turnaround times. Allowing access to these networks under the ChargeFox platform would significantly simplify fleet charging management while maintaining access to high-speed charging infrastructure.

However, not all networks are likely candidates for roaming partnerships.

JOLT’s unique business model offering 7kW charging daily for $1.99 requires a JOLT account and app to manage eligibility, making roaming integration unlikely. EVIE, as Australia’s largest standalone dedicated public charging network, would probably be reluctant to roam onto ChargeFox unless they were amongst the last independent charging networks operators without roaming enabled.

Tesla presents a wildcard scenario. The company operates without a media relations team and staff don’t make public comments, making their strategy difficult to predict. Currently, Tesla EVs automatically charge and are billed when plugged into a Tesla Supercharger without any app interaction.

However, as Tesla expands its growing list of open-access CCS2 chargers available to non-Tesla EVs (currently about 2/3rds of their Australian locations), roaming onto ChargeFox could increase asset utilisation and income generation from non Tesla EVs charging at these locations.

Exploren is another unlikely candidate in the near term. The company recently removed their ENGIE-branded chargers including locations like HomeCo Roselands from ChargeFox and moved them to the Exploren app after purchasing DC charger locations owned by ENGIE Australia. A reversal so soon after establishing their own platform seems improbable.

The Business Case for Fleet Electrification Strengthens

For businesses evaluating electric vehicle adoption, charging infrastructure accessibility is often a key concern. These roaming partnerships address that concern directly by:

• Reducing administrative overhead through consolidated billing and reporting
• Simplifying driver training with fewer apps to master
• Expanding practical charging access without requiring new infrastructure investments
• Providing geographic coverage that supports diverse fleet operations

ChargeFox now offers roaming access to 3 networks: NRMA fast chargers, AGL’s pole-mounted network, EVX kerbside chargers and direct exclusive access to a wide array of other chargers across Australia including all of South Australia’s RAA Charge, Western Australia’s WA EV network, the QLD Yurika network as well as many independently owned chargers and all chargers owned by Australian Motoring associations like RACV. This represents the most comprehensive single-platform charging access available to private EV drivers and Australian fleet operators.

Benefits Beyond Fleet Operations

While fleet managers stand to gain significant operational advantages, private EV drivers who rely on public charging also benefit substantially from network consolidation. Apartment dwellers, renters, and others without home charging access can now manage their charging needs through fewer apps, reducing the friction of everyday EV ownership.

Perhaps more importantly, increased roaming partnerships build confidence among new and potential EV buyers. The perception of charging complexity needing to juggle multiple apps, accounts, and payment methods has been a documented barrier to EV adoption. When prospective buyers see major charging networks working together seamlessly, it removes a significant psychological hurdle to making the switch from petrol vehicles.

For businesses considering fleet electrification, this growing interoperability also makes it easier to confidently communicate the practicality of EV ownership to employees who may be hesitant about company vehicles or salary sacrifice programs.

Implementation for Your Fleet

If your organization already uses ChargeFox for fleet charging, no action is required. NRMA, AGL and EVX networks will automatically appear in your drivers’ ChargeFox apps. If you’re considering fleet electrification, this expanded network access and the clear trend toward further consolidation strengthens the business case for making the transition.

As Australia’s charging networks continue to mature, increased roaming partnerships remove barriers to fleet electrification and simplify operations. Business owners can now focus less on managing charging logistics and more on the operational and environmental benefits of electric fleet vehicles.