Government future proofs EV-charging

Transport Minister Michael Wood has recently launched the first national EV (electric vehicle) charging strategy, Charging Our Future, which includes plans to provide EV charging stations in almost every town in New Zealand.

“Our vision is for Aotearoa New Zealand to have world-class EV charging infrastructure that is accessible, affordable, convenient, and reliable,” Michael Wood said.

“Emissions from our light vehicle fleet are the single largest source of transport emissions in New Zealand, partially due to having some of the most fuel inefficient and emissions intensive vehicles in the OECD.

“This costs Kiwis at the pump and is damaging to our health and the environment. Switching to EVs would be like buying petrol for 40c/litre, which would make a big difference for household budgets.

“The strategy sets targets to provide journey charging hubs every 150 – 200 kilometres on main highways, a public charger for every 20-40 EVs in urban areas, and public charging at community facilities for all settlements with 2000 or more people.

“Meeting the targets would see tens of thousands more EV chargers across the country.

“These new targets carefully balance facilitating infrastructure to support different trips and journeys that EV drivers make, while ensuring that rural and provincial New Zealand locations are accessible for residents and visitors with EVs.

“The success of our clean car policies mean 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 the uptake of EVs as we see more people making the switch.

“To make sure the strategy is effective we’ll be