EV drivers in Christchurch will now be able to enjoy even faster public charging after ChargeNet announced the successful installation of a hyper-rapid charging station at Harewood, a suburb on the outskirts of the South Island city.
The two new 300kW EV charging stations - the first of their type to be installed in the South Island - are both capable of charging two cars at a time and join ChargeNet’s already established network of 150kW sites in Blenheim in Marlborough, Orari in South Canterbury, and Twizel in the Mackenzie District, as well as multiple locations across the North Island.
The new chargers are an expansion of the existing 50kW site at the Raewood Fresh supermarket, installed by Orion in February 2018. Due to their location close to Christchurch airport and State Highway 1, ChargeNet anticipates they will be used extensively by local drivers, tourists arriving in and travelling through Christchurch.
ChargeNet Chief Operating Officer, Martin Miles says that 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,” said Miles.
According to Miles, ChargeNet is rapidly approaching the significant milestone of 2 million individual charging sessions, and the installation of charger at Harewood is part the company's strategy to get EV-charging infrastructure into areas where it is most in demand.
"The location is in close proximity to the key arterial routes that lead to Christchurch International Airport, the South Island’s busiest transport hub. The new chargers will allow drivers to quickly add hundreds of kilometres of range in the time it takes to do their shopping.
"We know that confidence in access to fast charging reduces range anxiety, removing one of the biggest barriers to EV adoption."
ChargeNet has increased its number of fast-charging points from 285 to 364 in the last 12 months and has plans to open up to 30 new sites during 2024. The company says that sustained charging demand on its network over the summer has proven that the appetite for EV charging continues to grow in New Zealand, and it is committed to making proactive investments to support that growth.
The new chargers in Christchurch are powered by Ecotricity’s 100% renewable, Toitū climate-positive certified electricity, generated from wind, hydro, and solar, and were jointly funded by ChargeNet, Foodstuffs South Island, and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), with funding from Round 8 of the Government’s Low Emission Transport Fund (LETF), which is administered by EECA.