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Ampol has agreed to acquire Evie Networks for $225 million, adding more than 1000 charging bays to its AmpCharge network and creating a national platform of 1425 bays across over 400 sites.
Ampol has agreed to acquire electric-vehicle charging network Evie Networks for $225 million, a deal that will more than triple the number of charging bays it owns.
The fuel giant announced the acquisition on Thursday, saying it had secured 100 per cent of the business. The purchase will add more than 1000 charging bays to Ampol's existing AmpCharge network. That creates a combined national platform of 1425 charging bays spread across more than 400 sites. Ampol runs hundreds of petrol stations across Australia and the Lytton oil refinery in Brisbane.
Australian EV Adoption Accelerates
The deal comes as Australians switch from petrol-powered cars to electric vehicles at an unprecedented rate. An influx of more affordable EV models and sharp spikes in fuel prices, caused by the war in the Middle East, are driving the change. EVs accounted for less than 10 per cent of Australia's new car market just 12 months ago. They now represent more than 25 per cent of new sales, or one in four, nationwide.
That rapid transition is pressuring retail fuel companies to scale up public fast-charging infrastructure to meet booming demand. Ampol managing director Matt Halliday said the deal positioned the company to capture growth as EV uptake and charging demand increase. Our job is to be there for customers with what they need, when they need it, as they choose vehicle technology that suits their needs, he said.
Halliday added that a substantial portion of Australian households have no practical means of charging at home. He said public infrastructure is also critical for commercial fleets, rideshare operators and customers travelling longer distances. There are more than 1300 public charging sites operational across Australia, housing more than 4000 individual charging ports. More than half are DC fast chargers rated above 50 kilowatts.
Public Charging Infrastructure Lags Demand
Many are run by commercial operators including Evie Networks, EVX, Chargefox and Tesla. Others are owned by service station chains such as Ampol and BP, or motoring clubs like the NRMA and RACV. Riz Akhtar, founder of EV data analytics firm Carloop, said drivers are making the switch to EVs faster than ever. He said public fast-charging infrastructure is failing to keep up.
That is going to be the biggest challenge, he said. Evie Networks' current principal shareholder is Trevor St Baker, a long-time investor in Australia's energy industry with interests spanning coal-fired power stations and electric vehicle infrastructure. Ampol's acquisition follows surging utilisation rates across its current AmpCharge network this year. That growth is in line with a doubling of sales of EV and plug-in hybrids across the country.
Halliday said the number of charging sessions at Ampol sites, and the volume of energy supplied, had more than doubled in the first half of 2026. This gives us confidence in the strength of the business case that complements our traditional fuels business, he said. The deal is subject to clearance from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. It is expected to complete in the first half of 2027.
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brisbanetimes:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
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Ampol to Acquire Evie Networks for 225 Million Dollars to Expand EV Charging NetworkFuel giant Ampol has agreed to buy Evie Networks for 225 million dollars, tripling its charging bays to 1425 across 400 sites. The move aligns with record EV sales in Australia, which now exceed 25 percent of new car purchases, as the company aims to meet rising demand for public fast-charging infrastructure.
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