First solar EV charger on NZ roads.

The first on-road solar-powered EV charger in New Zealand has opened to the public in Tauranga. The charging station is a community initiative in partnership with the Tauranga City Council, Powerco, Trustpower and other sponsors. The charging station, which costs $130,000, is located at the south end of The Strand in central Tauranga. It draws power from 18 panels and contains two allocated car parks with two hours of free parking provided by the Tauranga City Council. Trustpower will supply free power for the first year. “The Strand was selected as a high-profile location in the heart of the Tauranga CBD where we could prioritize support for EVs and demonstrate the use of solar technology,” Mayor Greg Brownless said in a press statement. When the sun isn’t shining, the grid will provide back-up power to the solar station, and excess solar power will be fed back into the grid. The charger also features a display unit, which will show users the percentage of energy generated from the sun. Powerco CEO Andrew McLeod said the station was designed to encourage out-of-towners to visit the Tauranga CBD and entice local drivers to consider the validity of EVs. "While on the rise, the number of electric vehicles in the Bay of Plenty is currently low, so initial demand is also expected to be low," he said. Kristy Hoare, Director of My Solar Quotes, said the opportunity to be a New-Zealand first motivated the initiative. “All of the project partners, big and small, envisioned combining solar power and EV charging into one station, within the same location,” she said. A private solar-powered EV charging station was installed on private land at the Wellington Sustainability Trust last September.