EV charging network growing fast

Friday, 10 May 2019

If you drive a petrol or diesel vehicle, you can probably think of four or five petrol stations on your usual route if you need to fill up.

But how does it work for recharging your electric vehicle (EV)? Unless you're looking for a public charging station you might not have even noticed them as they're often hiding in plain sight. But they're rapidly arriving in our towns and highways, giving EV drivers confidence they won't be caught short.

Charging an EV at home overnight is the simplest, cheapest and most convenient option. It's typically about the same as paying 30 cents a litre for petrol if you use a residential off-peak charge rate, according to estimates from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).

You can charge in a garage or driveway by plugging the EV cable into a normal three-pin socket. It can take several hours but that's no problem if you're fast asleep. Some owners install a dedicated wall-mounted charging unit that reduces charging time.

For longer journeys or busy days with lots of driving, public EV chargers come into play. Slow chargers are often free and provide a useful top-up but for a full recharge, most drivers opt to pay to use a fast charger. They can add 100 kilometres of range to the battery in 20-30 minutes – time to grab a bite and check your email.

There are now fast chargers at least every 75 km on 90 per cent of the state highway network. You can find them with an app such as Plugshare or ChargeNet.

EV charging stations are popping up everywhere as EV use becomes more popular.

The fast charging network is rapidly expanding, with three or four new stations typically arriving in new locations every month. Some are provided by electricity companies like Vector and WEL Networks and are currently free to use. However, there can be queues to charge at the popular free locations, particularly in Auckland.

ChargeNet has the most fast chargers around the country at 140 different locations and rising. The cost depends on how much electricity you use and how long it takes. According to ChargeNet, EV drivers typically pay $5-10 and charge for 15-30 minutes. Their most popular chargers include Z Energy in Wellington's Vivian Street, the i-SITE information centre in Palmerston North, the Dowse Art Gallery in Lower Hutt, and Z Energy Moorhouse Avenue in Christchurch.

To find out more about making your next car an electric vehicle visit www.electricvehicles.govt.nz.