Assemble to bring EV charging to 800 build-to-rent-to-own homes

NOX Energy announced on 22 October that it has been appointed EV charging provider for more than 800 homes across two new Assemble developments in Footscray and Coburg. The rollout already covers four Assemble build-to-rent communities in Kensington and Brunswick.

Footscray (11-19 Whitehall Street) and Coburg (519-547 Sydney Road) sit inside Assemble Futures, the build-to-rent-to-own arm Assemble runs with AustralianSuper. AustralianSuper put $364m toward buying those two sites and a third in Brunswick, and holds a 25 per cent stake in Assemble Futures, according to theurbandeveloper.com. The model lets moderate-income households rent now and buy later if they choose. A charger installed today can end up in a home the renter owns.

NOX Energy is building the chargers into Footscray and Coburg as the two buildings near completion, so charging becomes available as residents move in rather than as a retrofit. The system pairs the company’s own Intelligent Power Sockets with MSI 7kW Eco series chargers, managed through a cloud-based platform and app. The same setup already operates across four established build-to-rent communities in Kensington and Brunswick, where more than 1,000 apartments have home charging today. Combined, NOX Energy says the appointment takes its Melbourne footprint to six communities and nearly 1,900 homes.

Charlie Richardson, NOX Energy’s chief operating officer, said the company’s aim is to “democratise access to EVs for all Australians.”

Why it matters

Home EV charging has mostly followed detached housing with a driveway and a private power connection. Apartment and rental residents have largely missed out, because owners corporations and short lease terms make retrofitting hard to justify for any one party. Wiring chargers in during construction, before an owners corporation or a tenancy even exists, sidesteps that fight entirely.

For Assemble, the timing matters more than usual. Assemble Futures residents are renting with a stated path to buying the same home, so a charger installed now is not just a rental perk that evaporates at lease end. It is part of an asset a resident may eventually own. That sets Assemble apart from standard build-to-rent operators, such as Salta’s 476-apartment Riverline project in Richmond. It also contrasts with strata apartments, where adding chargers later usually needs an owners corporation vote.

The numbers

The Footscray and Coburg appointment covers more than 800 homes, the number NOX Energy gave for the two developments combined. Those two sites were acquired as part of a three-site, $364m AustralianSuper commitment to Assemble Futures, with Footscray at 13,814 sqm and Coburg at 6,632 sqm. Add the more than 1,000 apartments already wired for charging across four build-to-rent communities in Kensington and Brunswick, and NOX Energy puts its combined Melbourne footprint at six communities and nearly 1,900 homes.

What’s next

NOX Energy says charging will switch on at Footscray and Coburg as each building nears completion and residents move in; neither the company nor Assemble has given a specific completion date for either site. NOX Energy has signalled it intends to keep adding communities to the network, but has not named further sites or a timeline beyond the two just confirmed.