ChargeNet to upgrade chargers

EV charging stations supplied by ChargeNet NZ will be upgraded from Type1 CCS charging to the new Type 2 CCS charging plug. This follows an agreement between BMW New Zealand and ChargeNet to install 100 rapid chargers across the country to create an electric highway. ChargeNet NZ will begin modifying existing infrastructure to the new plug on a rolling basis. The upgrade will begin in mid-April for the South Island, and May for the North Island. The plug upgrade will future-proof New Zealand-new BMW EVs, which will carry the Type 2 CCS plug. Affected BMW i3 customers whose vehicles have a Type 1 CCS plug will be contacted directly by BMW New Zealand as part of a vehicle upgrade programme. The Type 2 or IEC 62196 charging standard is the standard for electric vehicle infrastructure in Europe. The plug and supersedes the existing ‘Type 1’ SAE J1772 plug type that is currently in use in New Zealand. “Upgrading to the Type 2 CCS plug is a good move,” said Steve West, CEO of ChargeNet NZ. “Our company vision is, and has always been, to encourage the uptake of as many electric vehicles as possible”. BMW Group New Zealand managing director Florian Renndorfer is in favour of the upgrade. “The change to Type 2 CCS plugs across the ChargeNow electric highway is a positive step, improving our country’s infrastructure and allowing even faster charging when travelling the length of New Zealand in electric vehicles,” he said.