Electric vehicles (EVs) are no longer the preserve of the wealthy. Prices are coming down, models are multiplying, and government incentives are finally helping more Australians make the switch. Yet one major barrier remains—affordable, practical charging. While most EV owners dream of plugging in at home, the reality is that installing a dedicated wall charger can easily cost thousands once you factor in wiring, switchboard upgrades, and compliance checks. For apartment residents and renters, it’s often not an option at all.
That’s where a surprising contender enters the picture: a smart, metered power socket costing around $400. Developed by NOX Energy and backed by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), this compact device could redefine what “accessible charging” looks like in Australia. By turning ordinary outlets into intelligent, trackable charging points, the so-called Intelligent Power Socket promises to make EV ownership feasible for millions of urban Australians, no driveway required.
It’s a refreshingly simple solution to one of the country’s most complex energy challenges. And if it works, it could mark the start of a new chapter where the transition to electric transport becomes not just cleaner, but fairer.
What is the $400 fix?
The idea is deceptively simple. Instead of installing bulky wall chargers or running costly new cabling, the Intelligent Power Socket (IPS) turns an ordinary outlet into a smart, trackable charging point. Developed by NOX Energy with support from ARENA, the system is being trialled across 16 apartment buildings in Australia, with around 2,000 sockets set to be installed as part of the pilot.
Each socket costs roughly $425, plus installation, making it one of the most affordable EV charging options available. That’s a fraction of the cost of traditional wall-mounted chargers, which can run into the thousands once electrical work and switchboard upgrades are included.
What makes the IPS difference is its intelligence. It monitors usage, tracks electricity consumption for billing purposes, and includes Wi-Fi and load management features to balance demand across multiple sockets within the same building. Residents simply plug in, and the system records how much energy they use — no shared bills, no disputes, and no need for expensive meters.
It’s a small piece of technology with a big ambition: to prove that EV charging doesn’t have to be complex or costly, and that a simple power outlet can be the bridge between housing reality and electric future.
Why it matters for apartment dwellers
For many, home charging is the daft picture of EV ownership—plug in overnight, wake up to a full battery. But for the millions living in apartments or townhouses, that’s rarely an option. Shared car parks, complex wiring, and strata approval processes make even small electrical work a logistical headache. As a result, urban dwellers who’d happily switch to an EV are left on the sidelines.
That’s what makes the IPS project so interesting. It’s designed for precisely these environments—where full-scale chargers aren’t feasible but a standard power supply exists. Instead of waiting for entire buildings to be retrofitted, residents can install individual smart sockets that communicate with a central system to manage load and record usage. Each user pays only for the electricity they consume, and the building avoids the need for major infrastructure changes or billing disputes.
In practical terms, it opens EV ownership to a far broader audience. The $400 fix could help bridge the gap between Australia’s growing demand for cleaner transport and the reality of its urban housing market, where the future of driving electric depends not on speed, but on access.
How it works behind the scenes
At first glance, the IPS looks like any other outlet, but inside it’s equipped with the kind of technology usually found in full-scale EV chargers. Each unit includes Wi-Fi, LAN, and Bluetooth connectivity, allowing it to communicate with a central management system. That means building managers or state committees can track owner usage per socket, detect faults in real time, and even schedule charging to take advantage of cheaper or cleaner energy periods.
In practical terms, the socket delivers between 1.8 and 3.5 kW of power, depending on whether it’s a 10A or 15A setup. It’s not fast charging, but it’s more than enough for most drivers, who travel an average of 35-40 km a day. Plug in overnight, and you’ll typically regain that distance by morning.
The system’s load-balancing feature is key. In shared car parks where multiple sockets operate at once, it automatically distributes power to prevent overloads on the building’s main supply. At the same time, smart scheduling means residents can set their EVs to charge when electricity is cheapest or when rooftop solar is exporting excess energy.
It’s a quiet background technology, the kind that doesn’t demand attention but makes EV charging possible in places it’s never been before.
The pros and cons
The IPS isn’t a perfect solution, but it represents an important middle ground between expensive wall chargers and public fast-charging stations.
| Pros | Cons |
| Affordable and accessible – Around $400 per socket, far cheaper than full wall chargers that can cost several thousand dollars. | Slower charging speed – Level 1 sockets deliver roughly 10–20 km of range per hour, which won’t suit long-distance drivers. |
| Easy to retrofit – Works with existing wiring in many apartment buildings, avoiding complex infrastructure overhauls. | Still requires approval and setup – Strata permissions, wiring checks, or limited switchboard capacity can delay installation. |
| Smart management – Tracks usage, prevents overloading, and allows time-based scheduling for cheaper charging periods. | Limited future scalability – May not meet the higher power demands of next-generation EVs without upgrades. |
| Fair billing system – Residents are billed for their own electricity use, removing disputes over shared costs. | Not ideal for every user – High-mileage drivers or those without overnight parking access will need faster options. |
| Supports solar integration – Can align charging times with rooftop solar output or off-peak tariffs. | Early-stage technology – As a new system, long-term reliability and user experience are still being tested. |
The trade-offs are clear: the IPS isn’t built for speed, but for reach. For most Aussies driving modest daily distances, it’s a practical, low-cost step toward making EV ownership genuinely inclusive.
Why Australia is the perfect testbed
Australia has the right ingredients to prove that small, smart charging solutions can work at scale. Unlike countries such as the US and Canada, where standard household outlets run on 110 volts, Australian homes already operate on 230-volt power, giving the humble socket far more potential for EV charging. That means the IPS can deliver double the charging output using the infrastructure most buildings already have.
Then there’s its growing solar footprint. With rooftop systems now on more than 3.7 million homes, there’s enormous potential to pair daytime solar generation with smart, scheduled EV charging at night. Add in evolving time-of-use tariffs from retailers and flexible demand programs from state energy departments, and it’s clear that the conditions are ideal for experimenting with smarter, cheaper ways to power cars.
The project’s support from ARENA isn’t just a funding exercise, but a signal that EV charging is shifting from luxury tech to everyday infrastructure. By testing low-cost, scalable options like the IPS in apartment settings, Australia can lead the way in proving that clean transport doesn’t need high-end hardware. It just needs smart thinking, fair access, and a few well-placed sockets.
Democratising EV charging
The rise of IPS shows a shift in mindset. EV charging has long been treated as a premium feature, tied to homeownership and expensive installations. This small, smart socket challenges that idea. It reframes charging as a basic utility, not a luxury, something that should be available wherever cars are parked, from apartment basements to regional motels.
This is a game-changer for the country. If this model proves successful, it could inspire new policies and building codes that make charging access as standard as lighting or water. It could also unlock thousands of underused car parks by equipping them with low-cost, metered outlets. When combined with rooftop solar, it turns ordinary buildings into local energy hubs that feed homes and vehicles.
Democratising EV charging doesn’t mean deploying the fastest chargers everywhere. It means ensuring everyone can plug in somewhere. The IPS project offers a glimpse of that future, one where electric transition is built not from grand infrastructure projects, but from small, smart solutions that add up.
The Intelligent Power Socket shows that the path to an electric future doesn’t always run through billion-dollar infrastructure. Sometimes, it’s as simple as rethinking what already exists. By turning a regular power point into a smart, shareable resource, Australia has a chance to make EV charging accessible to everyone — not just homeowners with garages. It’s proof that innovation doesn’t have to be flashy to be powerful; it just has to be fair, functional, and within reach.
Energy Matters has been in the solar industry since 2005 and has helped over 40,000 Australian households in their journey to energy independence.
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