Fastest EV chargers hit city
Electric vehicle (EV) drivers in Christchurch will benefit from the fastest public chargers available in the South Island, with ChargeNet announcing the successful installation of a hyper-rapid charging station at Raeward Fresh Harewood.
The site is powered by Ecotricity’s 100 per cent renewable, Toitū climate-positive certified electricity, generated from wind, hydro, and solar.
The two 300kW chargers, the first of their type to be installed in the South Island, will provide charging for up to four vehicles at a time close to Christchurch Airport.
Due to their location close to State Highway One, ChargeNet anticipates the devices will be used extensively by local drivers, tourists arriving in and travelling through Christchurch, and services operating near the airport that use EVs as part of their fleet.
The new site joins ChargeNet’s network of 150kW hyper-rapid chargers operated by partners in Blenheim in Marlborough, Orari in South Canterbury, and Twizel in the Mackenzie District, as well as locations across the North Island.
The new chargers are an expansion of the existing 50kW site, which was installed by Orion in February 2018.
ChargeNet chief operating officer Martin Miles says the company has two other hyper-rapid charging stations planned for Dunedin and Queenstown, which he expected would come online within the next six months.
“With these strategic sites, our customers can effectively ‘leapfrog’ between our South Island hyper-rapid charging stations. This opens up a pathway of efficient EV travel throughout the South Island, minimising charging downtime and enhancing the comfort and ease of long-distance travel,” he adds.
Miles notes ChargeNet is approaching the milestone of two million individual charging sessions, and the installation of the world-class technology is part of its strategy to get EV-charging infrastructure into areas where it is most in demand.
“We know that confidence in access to fast charging reduces range anxiety, removing one of the biggest barriers to EV adoption. As a data-driven organisation with a core focus on customer experience, we have been able to determine that this is the best location in the area to install these hyper-rapid chargers,” he says.
The rapid charging station was jointly funded by ChargeNet, Foodstuffs South Island, and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA). Funding also came from round eight of the government’s Low Emission Transport Fund, which is administered by EECA.
