Dunedin to get EV station

The South Island’s first public fast-charging station for electric vehicles (EVs) is set to be located in Dunedin. To be installed by infrastructure company Delta, it will charge EVs to 80 per cent in half an hour. Standard chargers take five hours for a full charge. It will be available for free for at least its first year after which a rapid charge will cost about $5. Delta has lodged a resource consent application with Dunedin City Council to install the station in the Filleul Street car park. If approved, the 50kW charger is expected to be installed before Christmas. Chief executive, Grady Cameron, says the charger will contribute to the emerging network of EV charging infrastructure across the country. “New Zealand currently has nearly 800 registered EVs on the road, more than double from the same time last year,” he says. “The planned rapid charging station in Dunedin will contribute to development of national network of charging infrastructure.” He says range anxiety for EVs remains “a barrier for prospective owners”. But Cameron adds: “With ever-more charging stations being added, we can expect EV owners will soon be able to travel the length of the country with ready access to charging facilities to banish that concern.”