Gisborne to get its first EV charger

Gisborne is about to get its very first EV charging station. The station, supplied by Eastland Group, will be located on Gladstone Road, the city’s main street. The charger is expected to be installed by the end of July. “We’re excited about this next step in opening up the region to electric vehicles,” said Eastland Group business development general manager Gavin Murphy. Murphy also said charging will be free until the end of 2017. “People may wonder why we’re doing this now, when there are still only a few EVs and hybrids in the region,” he said. “EVs are cheap for owners to run and, because they operate on 80% renewable energy in this country, they help reduce carbon emissions.” “The positive economic, environmental and tourism benefits are potentially huge.” EV registrations have hit a total of 3,576 as of May, up 156 per cent compared to May 2016. At its current rate, however, growth is below the target of 64,000 EVs on New Zealand roads by 2021.