Boost for public charging

New Zealand’s EV drivers will have more options than ever to recharge on the go, with 341 high-speed public DC charge points approved for government co-funding in urban areas.

The charge points, across 168 charging units and nine charge-point operators, will be co-funded through the public EV charging – urban infill funding round overseen by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority.

The new chargers will boost the current public network’s high-speed DC capacity by about 25 per cent. New Zealand had 1,249 public charge points and 1,178 public charging units as of September 2024.

A total of $15 million in co-funding was approved for the projects in this round, subject to all contracts being signed. This unlocked almost $37m in private investment.

The co-funded charging units are planned for sites across Auckland, Wellington, Waikato, Canterbury, Otago, Hawke’s Bay and Bay of Plenty regions, as well as Nelson, Whangarei, Taupo, New Plymouth and Gisborne. 

Projects are expected to be completed by February 2026. Click here for a list of companies.