Plans to grow EV charging network

Start-up Hikotron is planning to expand its roll-out of a smart AC charging network for electric vehicles (EVs) beyond the Waikato region and have 500 public charge points nationwide by 2026.

The Hamilton-based business, which uses New-Zealand made 7kW AC destination chargers, is being supported in its plans by Mercury. 

The companies have agreed an initial three-year partnership that will consider electricity supply, joint brand and marketing and broader EV charging initiatives. 

Lucie Drummond, Mercury’s general manager sustainability, says the deal plays a role in supporting New Zealand’s transition to low carbon by making e-transport more accessible.

“In New Zealand a lot of the early focus has been on public fast DC charging to minimise ‘black spots’ in the country’s charging network,” she explains. 

“However, in more mature overseas markets around 80 per cent of public chargers are slower AC units at locations where people naturally park, for example near retail, hospitality, business hubs, apartment buildings, master-planned communities, off-street parking sites and community facilities.

“We believe there’s great potential for destination AC charging in New Zealand’s charging ecosystem and love Hikotron’s focus on designing their hardware robustly for public spaces.”

Stephanie O’Callaghan, a director at Hikotron, says the design of its chargers is based on learnings from European infrastructure, with further improvements that aim to address common EV charging infrastructure problems. 

On average, a one-hour 7kW charge at a Hikotron charger provides 45km of range. The company says future sites will have a mixture of 22kW and 7kW chargers, which are designed specifically for public spaces.