RAC WA West Perth
Replacing First-Generation Ultra-Rapid Chargers with Kempower
A charging-site renewal case study: from Tritium PK hardware to a higher-capacity Kempower satellite architecture.
Project Summary
RAC WA’s head office at 832 Wellington Street, West Perth has been an important public EV charging location for years. In 2021, RAC and Chargefox opened Perth’s first ultra-rapid charging station at the site, using two chargers capable of up to 350 kW. In 2026, JET Charge worked with RAC WA to renew the site by replacing the existing Tritium PK chargers with Kempower Satellite charging hardware.
The upgrade is significant because it represents the next phase of Australia’s EV charging market: renewal. The first generation of public fast-charging assets are now ageing at the same time that EV numbers and driver expectations are rapidly increasing. The engineering question is shifting from where to install the first charger to how an established, heavily used site can be modernised without losing the value of its location, grid connection and customer base.
Project
RAC WA West Perth public EV charging renewal
Location
RAC Head Office, 832 Wellington Street, West Perth, WA
Client / site owner
RAC WA
Delivery partner
JET Charge
Previous hardware
Tritium PK ultra-rapid chargers
Replacement hardware
Kempower Satellite charging system
Original site milestone
Perth’s first ultra-rapid public charging station, opened in 2021
Original site capability
Two chargers, up to 350 kW
Upgrade outcome
Public JET Charge commentary states the new configuration doubled the charging bays
Current public access
RAC lists the West Perth station as publicly accessible through Chargefox
This is a renewal project, not a greenfield charging project
A charger replacement at an established site is a different engineering task from building a new charging station. The site already has an electrical connection, civil infrastructure, customer behaviour, operating history and a reputation. The objective is to preserve what works, while removing the constraints created by ageing hardware.
That makes utilisation data and operational experience valuable. A mature charging site can be redesigned around observed demand rather than forecasts alone. RAC’s West Perth site has long been renowned as one of the busiest charging locations in Western Australia. By upgrading to the latest Kempower Satellite hardware and doubling the number of charging bays, JET Charge has delivered greater reliability and shorter wait times for all customers.
Why replace Tritium PK chargers with Kempower Satellites?
The defining feature of a satellite charging architecture is the separation of the user-facing charging dispenser from the central power electronics. That creates more flexibility in how available power is distributed between charging bays and can make it easier to serve multiple vehicles from a shared power system.
For a busy urban charging location, the important metric is not simply the maximum power printed on the charger. Throughput, bay availability, power allocation, maintainability and uptime determine how many drivers can actually use the site. The West Perth renewal illustrates a wider shift from headline charger power toward charging-site productivity.
The lifecycle of public EV charging infrastructure
RAC’s West Perth site also demonstrates how quickly charging infrastructure has evolved. RAC opened the ultra-rapid site in 2021 as Perth’s first of its kind. Only a few years later, the site’s role had changed: EV adoption had increased, utilisation had grown and a new generation of charging architecture offered a different way to serve that demand.
This does not mean early charging infrastructure failed. It means EV charging is becoming a normal infrastructure asset class with a renewal cycle. Chargers will be upgraded, power modules replaced, payment systems modernised and sites redesigned as vehicle capability and utilisation change.
JET Charge’s role in the RAC WA upgrade
JET Charge worked with RAC WA on the replacement of the Tritium PK chargers with Kempower Satellite units. This new hardware is now supported by JET Charge proprietary software platforms. The CORE Load Management System provides real time energy monitoring, while the Illuminate fault detection and predictive maintenance platform ensures complete peace-of-mind.
The scope of projects such as this one are no longer limited to hardware supply and installation. A high-utilisation public charging site also needs monitoring, operations, fault response and lifecycle management. Maximising uptime is a vital to ensure the charging assets remain available when they are needed most.
What this project means for EV charging owners in Western Australia
Western Australia now has a growing installed base of public and commercial charging infrastructure. As that installed base ages, asset owners will increasingly face decisions about whether to repair, repower, replace or redesign existing sites.
A useful renewal assessment should examine more than charger age. It should consider utilisation, failure history, spare-parts availability, vehicle dwell time, power constraints, bay layout, software compatibility and expected future demand. In some cases, retaining the site and replacing the charging architecture can unlock more value than developing a new location.
Key Facts
- RAC WA’s West Perth head office is at 832 Wellington Street, West Perth, Western Australia.
- RAC opened Perth’s first ultra-rapid public charging station at the West Perth site in 2021, with two chargers rated up to 350 kW.
- JET Charge worked with RAC WA in 2026 to replace the site’s Tritium PK chargers with Kempower Satellite charging hardware, doubling the available charging bays.
- RAC continues to list the West Perth charger as part of its publicly accessible charging network, available through Chargefox.
- The project is an example of EV charging infrastructure renewal: modernising an established high-utilisation charging site rather than constructing a greenfield location.
Proven at scale in
Western Australia
Sources
- RAC WA, “Perth powers up with fastest electric vehicle chargers”, 9 April 2021.
- RAC WA, “EV charging stations” (current public charging information).
- RAC WA, branch listing for West Perth, 832 Wellington Street.
- Tim Washington / JET Charge public LinkedIn post, 2026, describing the Tritium PK to Kempower replacement.
- Nick Jacobi / JET Charge public LinkedIn profile post, 2026, describing Kempower Satellite deployment and doubled charging bays.
