Jolt Charge, which operates the largest fast-charging networks in Adelaide and Sydney, will install public fast-chargers in Melbourne's eastern suburbs over the next three months in a deal with Knox Council.
But the company's chief executive said all electric car-charging firms needed to dramatically increase their roll-out to give Australia a chance of meeting its 2030 climate target.
The new deal, announced Thursday, will result in seven public chargers being installed in shopping areas around Melbourne, with users offered 15 minutes of free charging or enough to add 50km of range to their cars.
Jolt Charge chief executive Doug McNamee said the new stations would be ready to use by early May and the company would add more as user uptake increased.
"With free, fast charging, we hope more people embrace EV ownership in Knox," he said.
"We want to build out a bigger network across the state to provide EV drivers in Melbourne with more convenient, free-of-charge and clean sites to charge their EVs and make EV ownership easier across the country."
Knox Mayor Marcia Timmers-Leitch said she hoped the chargers, which would use renewable energy, would cut emissions in the local council area and encourage more tourists.
"More charging stations will support and encourage people to choose zero-emissions transport and help our community achieve net-zero emissions by 2040 as set out in our Climate Response Plan," she said.
Multiple companies, from automakers and petrol brands to charging outlets such as Evie Networks and Jet Charge, are expanding Australia's car-charging networks.
More than 3600 public chargers were available in 2147 locations by June 2022, according to the Electric Vehicle Council – an increase of 15 per cent from early 2021.
But Mr McNamee said the rollout was not happening fast enough to support Australia's emission reduction goal of 43 per cent by 2030 and investments needed to "ramp up".
"The golden rule is 110 cars per charger," he said.
"If you look at our 2030 target, Australia will need in the order of 35,000 to 50,000 fast chargers. The number of fast chargers we need to be building on a monthly basis needs to dramatically increase."
Australians bought a record number of electric vehicles in 2022, at 33,410 cars, accounting for 3.1 per cent of all new vehicle sales.
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