A new electric car (EV) station was opened in Cambridge last week, at the corner of Queen and Victoria Streets. It is one of 105 charging stations set to be opened across the country by the end of next year, led by ChargeNet NZ – a goal which CEO Steve West said they’re on track to complete.
“I have to say, the assistance of Waipa Networks and Waipa District Council has been second to none,” Mr West said at the opening on Thursday last week. “This has been the easiest installation we’ve ever done.”
Waipa District Mayor Jim Mylchreest spoke at the opening, before celebrity guest Chelsea Sexton officially cut the ribbon. Sexton is a leading American EV advocate and star of the award-winning documentary, “Who Killed the Electric Car”.
“In decades of working with EVs one of the things that we know has to happen in order to move forward is to give you the opportunity to see and experience them and to give owners and drivers the ability and confidence to use them when they’re living, working and playing, and a huge part of that is installing infrastructure in those areas, and certainly for New Zealand” Sexton said at the opening. “So I congratulate all of you on the success of this latest charger, one of many that I’ve had the privilege to see.”
Waipa District Mayor Jim Mylchreest checks out the new EV charger
Jim Mylchreest said he was fully on-board with the idea. “If we’re expecting people to move into electric vehicles without charge sites, that’s just not going to happen,” he said.
Britain recently announced a ban on petrol and diesel cars by 2040, but NZ Transport Minister Simon Bridges has said that won’t be happening in New Zealand.
The number of electric vehicles in New Zealand is expected to rise over the coming years, currently the country has over four thousand of them.
The EV stations have a charge time of about 20-30 mins to achieve 80% of charge capacity, which can provide a range of 160kms.
