Z to install charge stations

Three more fast charging stations will be installed at Z Energy service stations by the end of April in a joint project with ChargeNet NZ. The new charging stations will be built in Warkworth, Turangi and Taupo, and join six currently installed at Z service stations in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. “Having more charging stations will make an electric vehicle a more appealing option for people, by stopping them worrying they’ll get stuck without power,” says sustainability manager Jonathan Hill. One 25-minute charge will fill up an entry-level EV such as a Nissan Leaf or Hyundai Ioniq and allow for a further 120km of travel. Electric charging at Z service stations saved an estimated 20 tonnes of CO2 last year, the equivalent of a medium-sized petrol car taking over 130 trips between Auckland and Wellington, Z says. "At this rate we will soon have charging stations every 40 to 80kms on the main highway, and Z is helping make this possible,” said ChargeNet CEO Steve West. ChargeNet aims to make the State Highway 1 between Auckland and Wellington ‘electric’ – capable of being driven by an EV without running out of power between charging stations – by the end of 2018. According to map website PlugShare, New Zealand has 64 fast-charging stations which are either installed or in development.