New Zealand EV charging specialist and manufacturer Evnex has developed a smart charger that can track how much carbon is being emitted to charge a vehicle and whether the power being used is generated from hydro, wind, solar, gas or coal.
The E2 charger accesses live data to measure the electricity grid's carbon intensity, updating users. It also gives owners the ability to track and measure carbon emissions from their previous charging sessions.
EV carbon monitoring tools are used in Europe and the US, but Evnex says this is the first commercial product to use the technology anywhere else in the world.
Evnex founder and CEO Ed Harvey argues that swapping petrol cars for EVs is only part of carbon reduction: “An EV isn’t a zero-emission car if fossil fuels are burnt to power it. Clean charging - using electricity generated from renewable sources - enables drivers to reduce their footprint and take better care of the climate. As NZ’s EV fleet grows, we should charge EVs using clean energy to fully maximise their impact."
READ MORE
Evnex acknowledges that 80 per cent of NZ’s energy is generated from renewable sources, but says it can fluctuate depending on demand. The company uses data from Energy Market Services, which provides carbon intensity information every 30 minutes.
It then tracks charging against these periods, which provides an overall measure of charging emissions.
“People can see exactly where their power is coming from and make real-time decisions to pause or even defer charging if more energy than usual is being produced from fossil fuels," says Harvey. "Looking forward, we are hoping to use the data we gather to automate charging, so it happens when electricity is at its cleanest.
The E2 charger itself is NZ-made and contains 70 per cent bio-circular plastic. It has a power rating of 7.4kW and comes with a five-metre tethered cable. It also has a "Charge Now" function which enables users to override pre-set charging schedules with the tap of a finger rather than logging into an app on their phone.