Boost for electric-car facilities

The government has published a draft plan to increase the popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) by getting more charging hubs installed along New Zealand’s main highways.

The idea is to locate hubs every 150-200km on all main highways, a public charger for every 20-40 EVs in urban areas and to have charging at community facilities in places with 2,000 or more residents.

Michael Wood, Minister of Transport, says the proposals outlined in a consultation document called Charging Our Future aim to create a “world-class charging infrastructure that’s accessible, affordable, convenient and reliable”.

“Meeting targets [in the strategy] would see tens of thousands more EV chargers across the country,” he adds.

“The success of our clean-car policies means there are more than 69,000 EVs on our roads, over 80 per cent more than at the end of 2021. This strategy will ensure we can sustain uptake as more people make the switch.

“I want to thank the clean car leadership group for giving advice as we’ve developed the strategy.”

The government says electrifying the fleet is an important step towards a zerocarbon future. Its emissions reduction plan commits to increasing zero-emissions vehicles to 30 per cent of the light fleet and cutting freight-transport emissions by 35 per cent by 2035.

While EVs “are not a panacea”, it

Toyota double

There were 9,683 used-imported cars sold last month. That was a drop of 60.2 per cent compared to 24,337 in March last year, which was the last month for registrations before the full clean car discount scheme was launched. Toyota claimed first and second on the models’ ladder with its Aqua on 1,469 units and the Prius second with 992. Mazda’s Axela came third on 458. Last month’s top marque was Toyota with 3,907 registrations.

adds they have a big role to play in the decarbonisation of the transport system by complementing more opportunities for people to safely walk, cycle and use high-quality public transport.

A charging strategy is also needed because EV ownership is already ahead of projected levels and the technological environment for electric cars is “dynamic”.

The draft strategy will become more relevant over time to heavy road transport, such as buses, trucks and heavy-duty EVs intended for off-road use. Looking to the future, the government expects electric boats and planes to feature more prominently in our transport sector.

Submissions on Charging Our Future close on May 11. Visit consult.transport.govt.nz.

ChargeNet describes the draft proposals as “a step in the right direction”. Chief executive Danusia Wypych says the company is continuing to invest in more public infrastructure and strengthen existing sites to accommodate more EVs.

As a whole, she notes New Zealand is lagging behind the rest of the world in its delivery of the infrastruture required.

“We’ve been investing heavily in our network for seven years and we’re now starting to see some sites that are commercially viable in their own right,” says Wypych.

“The scale of investment required means the charging strategy must be supported by industry, with focused financial commitment from the government to see our adoption of EVs and carbon reduction continue at pace.”

ChargeNet is expecting to see one million EV charging sessions at its sites over the next 12 months, so it’s critical for a strong investment pathway to be maintained.

Wypych adds: “With increased registrations of EVs, we’re seeing some sites double the amount of electricity they are delivering.

“With a need for charging sites that can accommodate more EVs as well as an increase in the number of locations, we anticipate more than $400 million of investment could be required across the industry for infrastructure over the next five years.

“In some communities, essential investments will not be fully commercial at this time for the location or scale that makes sense for the long term.

“We support the government’s proposal to provide charging hubs on main highways and we are already working towards this.

“Overseas experience suggests charging hubs can end up isolated. We’re fortunate in New Zealand to have so many community locations that can serve both local EV uptake and drivers travelling throughout the country.

“The government strategy presents an opportunity to create meaningful connections between these communities and the travelling public.”