Whether you run a small suburban tennis club or a multi-court facility hosting weekend tournaments, the way members arrive, and what they do while they wait, is changing fast. This article walks through everything a club like Cumberland Tennis Association needs to know about installing EV chargers, from car park basics to cost recovery.

Why EV Chargers for Clubs and Venues Make Strategic Sense

Installing EV chargers for clubs and venues is no longer a luxury reserved for shopping centres and hotels. For community sports clubs, it has become a straightforward way to add real value for members, attract new ones, and future-proof a facility against shifting transport habits. In New South Wales alone, electric vehicle registrations have grown sharply year on year, meaning a meaningful and growing slice of your membership is already driving one, or will be soon.

Members Dwell, So Charging Works

Tennis clubs have a natural advantage that retailers and offices simply can't match: dwell time. A member arriving for a 90-minute group lesson, or a family spending a Saturday afternoon at a junior tournament, has plenty of time to add 20–40 km of range at a standard AC charger. That's precisely the use case charger networks are built around. Iconic sporting venues worldwide, from local recreation grounds to storied sites like Whaddon Road, have recognised that car parks are underused assets that can serve members in entirely new ways.

A Competitive Differentiator for Your Club

When prospective members compare clubs, amenities matter. Offering on-site charging signals that your club is modern, well-managed, and thinking about the long term, qualities that resonate strongly with families and young professionals who make up a growing share of recreational tennis players. For a club like Cumberland Tennis Association, it reinforces the same straightforward, member-first ethos already evident in the coaching programme.

Sizing the Installation: What a Tennis Club Car Park Actually Needs for EV Chargers for Clubs and Venues

Before committing to any hardware, it pays to think carefully about how your car park actually gets used, because EV chargers for clubs and venues that are undersized from day one quickly become a source of frustration rather than a benefit. A typical suburban tennis club like Cumberland Tennis Association sees two distinct usage patterns: steady weekday traffic from coaching sessions and court hire, plus heavier weekend loads during competitions, graded matches and junior programs.

Working through the numbers doesn't need to be complicated. Start with these questions:

  • How many bays do you have? A practical rule of thumb is to plan for EV charging at roughly 10–20% of total car park capacity to begin with, leaving conduit in place so additional units can be added later without major civil works.
  • How long do members typically stay? A singles match or a 90-minute coaching session gives a standard 7 kW AC charger (the most common type for destination charging) enough time to add 8–12 kWh, a meaningful top-up for most drivers.
  • What is your peak arrival window? Saturday morning junior programs or weekend tournaments bring the highest simultaneous demand. Sizing your load management system to handle that peak, rather than an average weekday, avoids tripping your main switchboard.
  • Is three-phase power already available? Many club sites only have single-phase supply, which may limit charger output or require a network upgrade, a cost that needs factoring in early.

For most clubs at this scale, two to four 7 kW AC units is a sensible starting point, enough to serve regular members without overcomplicating the electrical infrastructure or the upfront budget.

Destination Charging in Practice: Matches, Tournaments and Member Habits

Understanding how EV chargers for clubs and venues actually get used day-to-day is the key to sizing your installation correctly. Tennis clubs, in particular, have a usage pattern that suits destination charging almost perfectly, members arrive, play for 60 to 120 minutes, then stay longer for social events, coaching, or tournament rounds. That dwell time is exactly the window a standard AC charger needs to deliver a meaningful top-up.

What Happens During a Club Match Day

On a typical Saturday fixture or club championship day at a venue like Cumberland Tennis Association, cars can sit in the car park for three to five hours. A 7kW AC charger plugged in for that window can realistically add 20–30 km of range, enough for most local members' weekly commute. For tournaments running across a full weekend, the opportunity is even greater, with some vehicles parked for six-plus hours across back-to-back matches.

  • Weekday coaching sessions: one to two hours; light top-up suits Level 1 or 7kW AC charging
  • Weekend pennant matches: three to five hours; 7–22kW AC chargers deliver solid range
  • Full-day tournaments: six or more hours; even a single 7kW unit can significantly recharge most EVs

Member Habits Worth Factoring In

Survey data from recreational sports facilities consistently shows that EV-owning members rank on-site charging as a significant factor in club loyalty. Juniors' parents waiting courtside during Junior Program sessions are an often-overlooked user group: they may spend 90 minutes in the car park every week. Likewise, members returning after a coaching session are more likely to linger at the clubhouse if their car is quietly charging. That kind of passive engagement benefits club culture and, ultimately, the bottom line.

Typical Costs and Available Grants for EV Chargers for Clubs and Venues

Understanding the numbers upfront helps committees make a confident case to their members. Installing EV chargers for clubs and venues like Cumberland Tennis Association typically involves two cost buckets: the hardware itself and the electrical infrastructure to support it.

Hardware and Installation Costs

  • AC Level 2 charger (7 kW single-phase): roughly $800–$1,500 per unit for the hardware, plus $500–$1,500 for installation depending on how far the car park sits from the main switchboard.
  • AC Level 2 charger (22 kW three-phase): $1,500–$3,000 per unit installed, a practical sweet spot for a club car park where members park for one to three hours during lessons or matches.
  • Switchboard upgrades and cabling: older clubhouse infrastructure often needs a panel upgrade, adding $1,000–$3,000 to the overall project.

A realistic starting budget for a two-bay setup at a community tennis club in NSW sits between $5,000 and $10,000 all-in, depending on site conditions.

Grants Worth Investigating

Several funding pathways are open to not-for-profit and community sporting clubs in NSW:

  • NSW Government's Electric Vehicle Strategy periodically releases destination charging grants targeted at community facilities, check the NSW Department of Planning and Environment portal for current rounds.
  • Sport NSW and local council infrastructure grants sometimes include EV infrastructure under broader sustainability or facility-upgrade categories.
  • Energy retailer incentives: some commercial electricity retailers offer bill credits or subsidised hardware when clubs sign a business electricity contract.

Clubs that apply early in a funding round consistently report better success rates, so appointing one committee member to monitor grant portals each quarter is a practical first step before budgeting begins.

How Clubs Recover Electricity Costs and Turn EV Chargers for Clubs and Venues into Revenue

Installing EV chargers for clubs and venues is only a smart move if the numbers actually work. The good news is that most tennis clubs have straightforward options to not only recover electricity costs but generate a modest ongoing income stream.

Common Cost-Recovery Models

  • Pay-per-use pricing: Members and visitors pay per kilowatt-hour or per session via an app or contactless card reader. A typical 7 kW session during a two-hour match can recover $2–$4, covering the electricity cost with margin to spare.
  • Membership add-on: Clubs bundle a set number of charging credits into an upgraded membership tier, creating predictable revenue while rewarding loyal members.
  • Flat session fee: A simple flat rate (e.g., $3–$5 per visit) is easy to communicate and avoids the need for smart metering hardware.
  • Tournament surcharge: During competitions, a small per-vehicle fee can be added to entry costs, covering peak demand days without impacting regular members.

Smart Charging Systems Make It Simple

Modern charge-point management software logs every session, generates reports and handles payments automatically. Many systems integrate with existing club booking platforms, so administration overhead is minimal. Some network providers also offer a revenue-share arrangement, supplying and maintaining the hardware in exchange for a percentage of session fees, meaning the club invests nothing upfront.

Clubs should track usage quarterly and adjust pricing as demand grows. What starts as a break-even amenity can, over time, become a dependable secondary income source, particularly as EV adoption accelerates across New South Wales.

Whether you manage a busy suburban tennis club or a larger multi-court venue, the principles here apply equally: good infrastructure planning, clear pricing, and the right grant support can make EV charging a practical and profitable addition. Much like quality coaching that pays dividends on court for years, the investment in smarter facilities keeps your club competitive and your members coming back.