Golden triangle charging boost
ChargeNet has announced plans to build one of New Zealand’s fastest and largest charging hubs for electric vehicles (EVs).
Set to be installed at Tauriko, Tauranga, with a capacity of 750kW, it will be able to charge up to 10 vehicles at one time, with a separate area for charging cars towing trailers, campervans and small electric trucks.
Stage one of the site, pictured above, is expected to be complete by the end of 2024. It will see the installation of five 150kW chargers, which can simultaneously add 300km of range in about 20 minutes – enough to power most fully electric return journeys to Auckland or Hamilton.
The hub will be powered by 100 per cent renewable, climate-positive-certified electricity sourced from wind, hydro and solar through ChargeNet’s energy partner Ecotricity.
“Tauriko hosts approximately 26,000 vehicles per day on average, and our data shows the new charging hub at is perfectly positioned to support demand and meet customers’ needs,” says ChargeNet’s chief executive officer, Danusia Wypych.
“The hub is a part of our plan to double our network to 600 charging points in the next three years. We expect to start rolling out a variety of hubs and destination chargers so capacity can be ramped up to accommodate increasing demand and utilisation.
“We strive to continuously improve our network to meet the needs of all our customers. There are three key considerations when building charging hubs like these – location, timing and providing the right speed. Planning for future growth means we can scale these sites relatively quickly.”
The new charging hub is jointly funded by the company and EECA, with co-funding from the latter’s low-emission transport fund.
ChargeNet has also announced it is planning to develop or refurbish eight EV charging sites in regional centres as part of its commitment to provide Kiwis with more than 600 fast DC charging points.
The new sites – a mix of 75kW and 150kW chargers with charging for four vehicles at each one – will be built in Tairua, Waihi, Paeroa and Whakatane on the east coast of the North Island, southern Wairarapa in the lower North Island, Blenheim and Motueka in the top of the South Island, and at Cromwell in central Otago.
Wypych says co-funding will enable the company to strengthen its capacity in Aotearoa’s most densely populated region – the golden triangle comprising the area between Tauranga, Hamilton and Auckland, which is home to more than 50 per cent of our population.
