Evnex, the Christchurch-based maker of wallbox-style smart-charge units for home use, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. And despite what founder Ed Harvey acknowledges are "challenges" in the NZ EV market right now, he's convinced the future is still electric.
“Twenty years from now, electric vehicles will outnumber gas powered vehicles on our roads," says Harvey. "It’s an exciting time to be involved in this industry and we’re looking forward to another decade of leading the charge.”
Harvey founded Evnex in Christchurch in November 2014, after he converted his 1997 Honda Accord to electric power as a university project. The company is now NZ’s biggest manufacturer of EV chargers and software, and has recently expanded into Australia.
“Smart charging of electric vehicles is one part of the puzzle that makes it more convenient to charge when renewable sources of energy are most abundant," says Harvey. "Being able to build this technology here in NZ, using local materials and manufacturing expertise, is incredibly rewarding.”
Harvey says that one of Evnex’s biggest opportunities is to help simplify the journey for drivers, particularly those who are less technically inclined.
“We’re really seeing a shift into the mass market now. Most of today’s EV drivers don’t want to talk about phases and kilowatts, they want things explained in simple terms; they want safety and convenience.”
“New Zealand has plenty of capacity for electrification. When you hear about electricity shortages in the news, it’s almost always about too much demand at peak times. The beauty of getting a faster smart charger installed is that you can fit more of your charging in a smaller window when there is plenty of renewable generation available, or the grid is least constrained. There is usually no need to be charging at 6pm on a cold winter’s night.”
Harvey says that in Australia, this is even more so the case, with drivers now getting paid to charge in the middle of the day due to too much solar energy being generated.
Earlier this year the company received investment from Australian private equity firm Adamantem Capital’s Environmental Opportunities Fund, which partners with high-growth organisations that deliver positive environmental impacts.
The investment has allowed Evnex to look more closely at solving the problem of a clean and affordable grid, and to expand its operations into Australia.
“We launched in Australia in 2023 and are really pleased with the way Australian consumers are responding to our technology. It’s a huge market and we’re proud to be taking the best of New Zealand manufacturing across the ditch.”
Evnex is a charging partner for several new-vehicle brands including Volkswagen, Volvo, Skoda, Cupra, Subaru, and LDV in New Zealand.