Surge in EV chargers looms after $12m boost
More than 100 new electric vehicle (EV) chargers will be popping up nationwide as part of a $12 million boost for low-emissions transport.
Projects in Tauranga, Nelson, Levin, New Plymouth and Oamaru are among 21 schemes that will benefit from the latest round of the government’s low-emission vehicles contestable fund.
They will share $3.8m of government co-funding and the successful applicants will contribute more than $8m of their own money to the projects that aim to reduce transport emissions.
“Transport is the biggest opportunity we have in the energy sector to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” says Energy and Resources Minister, Megan Woods.
“This government is committed to taking action on climate change and transitioning to a low-carbon economy. These sorts of EV initiatives move us in the right direction.”
The 21 projects include initiatives to increase the number and availability of public charging stations, with up to 110 new EV chargers being installed nationwide.
“We’re particularly pleased to see there will be more EV chargers in the regions,” Woods adds. “It’s good for both local and travelling EV owners, assuring them of options to fuel up. Growing the network of charging infrastructure is a key focus of this government.”
Among the successful applicants is a partnership between Foodstuffs and ChargeNet to install public fast chargers at urban and provincial supermarkets, the Warehouse Group will install fast chargers at regional stores for public use, and Cityhop plans to buy 50 EVs for nationwide car sharing.
The contestable fund has committed $23.8m government cash to 139 projects since it began, and this has been matched by $50m in applicant funding. Money from the fund has supported the installation of more than 1,000 EV chargers, of which 600-plus are operational.
Round eight of the fund, which is administered by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), is now open for applications and will close on March 19.
For more details, visit www.eeca.govt.nz/funding-and-support/low-emission-vehicles-contestable-fund/
Successful applicants
Charging infrastructure
1. ChargeSmart, $18,000: ChargeSmart will partner with Taranaki Regional Council to install four public 22kW AC chargers with a contactless payment solution at Pukeiti Garden in Taranaki.
2. ChargeSmart, $175,000: ChargeSmart will work with accommodation providers outside the main centres to provide overnight charging to travellers with 25 dual 22KW AC chargers at 16 accommodation sites across NZ.
3. Todd Property Ormiston Town Centre Limited, $120,000: Public fast chargers, public chargers and associated civil works in the new Ormiston Town Centre development.
4. Ebbett Waikato Limited, $148,602: A public 175kW ultra-fast DC charger is to be installed at the company’s new Volkswagen dealership at Te Rapa Gateway, Hamilton.
5. Foodstuffs, $113,400: Foodstuffs will partner with ChargeNet to install one South Island public 50kW fast charger at each of two supermarket locations in Christchurch and one in Timaru. An additional 25kW charger will be installed at Timaru if budget allows.
6. Foodstuffs, $487,000: Foodstuffs will partner with ChargeNet to install 13 public 50kW fast chargers at urban (Birkenhead, New Lynn, Devonport, Massey, Silverdale, Porirua) and provincial (Wellsford, Te Puke, New Plymouth, Taupo, Whanganui, Palmerston North, Carterton) supermarket locations in the North Island.
7. ChargeNet NZ, $257,000: Plans to install two dual-port charging stations able to charge up to four EVs simultaneously, and delivering up to 300kW per vehicle, and ancillary equipment in the Taupo central business district.
8. ChargeNet NZ, $77,000: Plans to install a public 50kW DC fast charger in Mokau in the North Island and Palmerston in the South Island.
9. Drive EV, $37,000: Drive EV will install one 50kW DC charger and one 22kW charger at its premises in central Taupo.
10. Wellington City Council, $50,000: Four public 25kW DC medium speed electric vehicle chargers to be installed at Waitohi, a major community hub being developed in Johnsonville, Wellington.
11. The Warehouse Group, $265,588: The company will install one 50kW rapid charge DC EV charging station in eight regional The Warehouse stores for free public use, located at Kaitaia, Kerikeri, Royal Oak, Gisborne, Petone, Greymouth, Rolleston and South Dunedin.
12. Mitchell Corp NZ, $43,950: Online accommodation booking specialists Ezibed.com will provide bookable EV charging facilities at 15 selected accommodation providers.
13. Refining NZ, $49,385: One 50kW DC fast charger to be installed in the visitor centre carpark on the Twin Coast Discovery tourist route, and two 22kW slow chargers for visitor parking at Refining NZ’s offices.
Car rental/car share
14. Anglesea Car Rentals, $351,564: Company will transition its “Loop” car share fleet of 20 combustion engine vehicles to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and install 7.2kW chargers at 20 vehicle home spaces.
15. Zilch (formerly known as Yoogo Share), $300,000: Co-funding will support Zilch’s deployment of a zero-emission car sharing service and related EV charging infrastructure in strategic locations throughout Auckland’s CBD.
16. Cityhop, $312,500: Cityhop will add 50 EVs to take its electric car sharing service nationwide.
17. GO Rentals, $180,000: The company will offer six rental BEVs at the same price as a combustion engine car, the ability to book the vehicles online, and there will be no fees for re-charging.
Heavy electric vehicles
18. Eastland Port Limited, $298,500: The company will purchase an electric truck for watering and dust suppression at Eastland Port, and will install a 60kW charging station.
19. Mahu City Express, $352,500: The company will add an electric coach to its luxury inter-urban commuter/day coach and shuttle service operating between the Mahurangi region and Auckland. It will install a 120kW heavy EV charger to service the coach.
Electric vans
20. The Priory in New Zealand of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, $127,179: Electric Mobility Health Shuttles St John will purchase two electric vans to test as mobility vehicles for its health shuttle fleet in Winton, Invercargill, Bluff and Otautau.
Technology
21. Northpower, $13,200: Northpower will purchase a second-generation Nissan Leaf to run a trial of vehicle-to-grid technology at a residential address.
