NHP Electrical Engineering Products has developed Australia’s first pole-mounted 50kW DC charger, bringing fast electric vehicle charging to the kerbside.
Electric vehicles have experienced a rapid rise across Australia in recent years, as drivers look to minimise their impact on the environment while eliminating their cost of fuel.
However, the rapid rise in demand has outpaced kerbside charging infrastructure, which remains limited for many EV drivers, such as urban residents who lack dedicated off-street parking, and in regional communities.
Leading provider of industrial electrical and automation solutions NHP has developed a solution to this, in collaboration with Delta Electronics and local distribution network service providers – Australia’s first pole-mounted 50kW DC fast charger, the RapidPost 50.
This breakthrough from NHP could not have come at a better time, with statistics from the Australian Automobile Associations quarterly EV Index for Q3 2025 finding full battery EVs took 9.7 per cent of all new vehicles, and these numbers continue to grow.
However, Australia’s charging infrastructure still trails other parts of the world and remains an issue for many EV owners.
Research from Mitsubishi in 2025 found 62 per cent of respondents to say it was not easy to locate a charger.
Making the comparison with Norway – which has one of the highest EV uptakes in the world (80 per cent of new vehicles – it has a charger for every 250 people, while the research says Australia has a ratio of one charger to every 14,062 people.
Developed to make fast EV kerbside charging accessible to every Australian driver, RapidPost 50 connects directly to existing street-power poles – unlike traditional fast-charging sites that require extensive construction and space – and delivers up to 50kW of fast DC charging to a single vehicle, or shared output between two EVs via CCS2 connectors.
By simply mounting the fast charger to or beside existing suitable power poles, it eliminates the need for trenching, civil works or complex site approvals – significantly reducing installation time, costs and disruption to the community.
NHP national business development manager – EV Solutions, Malcolm Noyle says this enables local governments, councils and utilities to expand the deployment of public charging networks faster and more efficiently.
“This is a genuine game-changer for Australia’s EV landscape,” he says.
“By reimagining how and where we deploy charging infrastructure, the RapidPost 50 brings fast, convenient charging to the kerbside. No digging, no drama, just clean energy where it’s needed the most.”
Meeting a demand
Featuring a steel-cased, weather-hardened design and an integrated credit card reader, the RapidPost 50 makes it easy for drivers to pay-on-the-spot and access fast charging instantly, without downloading a mobile app.
It can be deployed to EV drivers both in dense urban areas and in regional communities, which often lack adequate kerbside charging infrastructure.
In regional communities, Noyle says the RapidPost 50 can be highly beneficial for EV drivers passing through towns, as they can stop to get lunch or look around while their car quickly re-charges, while also being an essential for those urban residents who don’t have dedicated off-street parking.
While there are AC charging stations currently available, Noyle says EV drivers who get home late at the end of the day may struggle to find a charger.
“If all the charging stations are occupied, how do you re-charge your vehicle,” he says.
“The RapidPost 50 is a solution, especially for those living in apartments who don’t have access to a charger within the building.”
In comparison to current AC charging stations, Noyle says the RapidPost 50’s DC variation is much more suited to local government and councils due to its faster charging capability.
“EV drivers using AC charging stations need to be parked for much longer compared to DC to get any meaningful charge,” he says.
“RapidPost 50 will charge every electric vehicle from 20 to 80 per cent in under an hour with only one vehicle plugged in, and under two hours if it’s got two vehicles plugged in.
“These are magical figures for local authorities, because they will usually have one or two-hour parking requirements.”
Noyle adds the quick and easy installation of the RapidPost 50 can also generate significant cost-savings and a greater return on investment.
“If you put a DC charger into the ground, you’re talking upwards of $20,000 worth of construction work,” he says.
“An AC charger on the other hand will typically cost up to $10,000 to get it mounted on a pole, and they can only charge one vehicle at a time at around 11 kilowatts an hour.
“On any given day, you may only get one or two charging sessions out of it as a marginal profit, because the drivers aren’t paying for the premium DC fast charging.
“Our solution to that is the DC charger where up to two vehicles can charge at a time, and with a one to two-hour timeframe, there could be up to six charging sessions at a higher profit margin.”
Broader impact
While RapidPost 50 is addressing a key accessibility gap to fast EV charging, it can also have a ripple effect on the adoption of EVs and sustainability.
By increasing the amount of reliable fast charging locations, there will be less infrastructure barriers for drivers considering switching to EVs, which will help support ongoing emission reduction targets.
“Society needs a greater rollout of EV charging, but not just any charging,” Noyle says.
“It has got to include the flexibility between AC and DC charging, be compliant with local authority requirements and be able to be a business opportunity for charge points operators.
“The principle behind RapidPost is compared to an AC charger, you could install a DC charger which will have a better return on investment and provide a valuable service to the community.” U
