The fundamental constraint shaping this market is not demand; it is the availability of charging infrastructure in residential settings. Approximately 30 per cent of Australians live in apartments or properties without dedicated parking, and the practical and regulatory complexity of retrofitting strata buildings with charging capability means that public charging networks will remain essential for years. On average, one battery electric vehicle was sold every two minutes in May 2026. Shopping centres sit in an exceptionally well-placed position to meet the charging need that volume of new ownership creates.
A driver arriving for a 30 to 40 minute top-up does not sit in their car. They walk the centre, buy a coffee, collect a click-and-collect order, pick up groceries. The charge becomes the reason for an otherwise unplanned visit, and the longer the charging session, the deeper into the centre that visit tends to go. For operators focused on dwell time and specialty tenant performance, that is a meaningful equation.
The commercial logic compounds when renewable energy infrastructure is considered alongside charging. Many shopping centres already carry significant rooftop solar capacity, and battery storage systems are an increasingly viable complement. A centre that generates its own solar energy, stores it in on-site batteries, and distributes it through customer-facing EV chargers has transformed what was once purely an energy cost into a revenue-generating service. The “energy trading” opportunity is making the investment case considerably more straightforward and centres with existing solar infrastructure are well positioned to move quickly.
This dynamic carries particular weight in regional areas. In metropolitan markets, EV drivers have options, from standalone charging networks, service stations with fast chargers and increasingly dense public infrastructure. In regional centres, the local shopping precinct is often the only viable option for a meaningful charge. For the investor assessing a neighbourhood or sub-regional centre in a regional market, EV charging infrastructure is no longer merely a convenience offering. It captures a captive audience where infrastructure scarcity is greatest, and where dwell times during charging are likely to be longer given fewer alternative activities nearby.
Placement has become a strategic question rather than a facilities one. Infrastructure buried at the rear of a car park limits visibility, creates friction for first-time users, and does not generate the same incidental retail activation as chargers positioned near centre entries. More sophisticated operators are treating charging bays as they would any high-footfall amenity: investing properly, in the right location, with canopy cover, clear signage, and app-integrated payment as baseline expectations rather than premium additions.
With nearly one in three new vehicles now requiring a charge, the centres that invest in quality EV infrastructure today are building an asset that compounds in value as the fleet continues to shift. Those treating it as a compliance checkbox will find themselves retrofitting later at greater cost, competing for drivers who have already learned to charge where the experience is best.
