More EVs, more chargers, fewer excuses
New Zealand’s public EV charging network is about to get another shot in the arm, with the Government announcing a second round of concessionary loans worth around $21 million to help accelerate the rollout of public EV charging infrastructure. The ultimate goal? 10,000 public EV charge points across New Zealand by 2030.
And if you’ve ever watched your EV’s remaining range drop a little quicker than your confidence on a long road trip, you’ll understand why this matters.
New Zealand’s EV charging chicken-and-egg problem
Transport Minister Chris Bishop says there is still a significant barrier to EV adoption: access to public charging, particularly when travelling outside the main centres. And it’s a fair point.
New Zealand started from a relatively low base. When the current Government began addressing the issue, the country had just over 1,800 public charge points, reportedly one of the lowest charger-to-EV ratios in the OECD.
Which creates something of a chicken-and-egg situation. Charging operators don’t necessarily want to spend big money installing infrastructure before there are enough EVs to use it. Meanwhile, potential EV buyers can be understandably reluctant to buy an electric car if they’re wondering whether there’ll be a charger when they actually need one.
It’s difficult to sell someone an EV road trip when the sat-nav starts looking like a treasure map.
$21 million to get more chargers in the ground
The Government is now attempting to break that cycle. National Infrastructure Funding and Financing (NIFFCo) is preparing to release a Request for Proposals for the second round of concessionary loans for public EV charging infrastructure.
Around $21 million will be available to charge point operators seeking co-investment to deliver portfolios of public charging sites around the country. The projects will be assessed through an open procurement process, with a focus on value for money and how much each proposal can contribute to growing New Zealand’s public charging network. In short, the Government wants to help the private sector build more chargers, sooner. And there is already evidence that the idea works.
First round already delivering thousands of chargers
The second funding round follows the first, announced in March. That initial round is expected to deliver 2,574 new charge points through partnerships with ChargeNet and Meridian Energy.
That’s a significant addition to New Zealand’s existing charging infrastructure and, according to the Government, will more than double the country’s public charging network once the projects are completed.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop says the first round demonstrated strong demand from the market and showed that concessionary loans can unlock significant private-sector investment. The next round is intended to keep that momentum going.
The 10,000-charger target
The Government’s longer-term target is 10,000 public EV charge points by 2030. That would equate to roughly one public charger for every 40 EVs. Whether that will be enough depends on how quickly EV adoption grows, where those chargers are located and, perhaps most importantly, how fast and reliable they are.
Because 10,000 slow chargers scattered around the country aren’t necessarily as useful as a well-planned network of high-speed chargers positioned where people actually travel.
For EV drivers, location, reliability and charging speed are arguably just as important as the raw number of plugs. Still, more infrastructure should mean fewer moments of staring at the battery percentage and wondering whether the next charging station actually exists.
Government says EVs don’t need subsidies – they need infrastructure
Energy Minister Simeon Brown says the Government’s approach is about giving New Zealanders more choice rather than forcing them towards a particular type of vehicle. And that’s worth noting, not everyone needs an EV.
If you tow a heavy trailer, spend your weekends exploring remote parts of the country or simply prefer the convenience of filling a tank with petrol or diesel in five minutes, there are still plenty of reasons to choose an ICE vehicle or hybrid.
But for people who do want an EV, the Government’s argument is that charging infrastructure shouldn’t be the thing that stops them. Concessionary loans reduce the cost of capital for charging operators and can make it more attractive to build infrastructure before demand is fully established. Essentially, build the chargers and give EV buyers the confidence to come.
It isn’t just about EV chargers
The Government’s wider electrification programme also includes several other measures designed to encourage smarter energy use. These include developing minimum standards for EV chargers, including the ability for some chargers to automatically charge vehicles overnight when electricity is cheaper.
There are also plans to:
- Allow rooftop solar installation on existing homes and buildings without building consent.
- Double household electricity export limits from 5kW to 10kW.
- Allow most EV chargers in public places to be installed without consent through changes to national direction under the RMA.
- Require gentailers to offer time-of-use electricity plans, allowing households to take advantage of cheaper off-peak electricity.
- Develop a plug-in solar standard.
- Install rooftop solar on up to 500 schools.
The broader aim is to make electricity use more flexible and, where possible, cheaper.
Is range anxiety finally on the way out?
Probably not tomorrow. Anyone who regularly drives an EV knows that charging infrastructure isn’t simply about putting more plugs in the ground. They need to be in the right places. They need to work. They need to offer useful charging speeds. And, ideally, you don’t want six cars queuing behind you while your charger delivers enough electricity to add about 14km of range.
But New Zealand’s charging network is clearly heading in the right direction. The first funding round is expected to deliver thousands of additional charge points, while this new $21 million funding round aims to bring even more private investment into the sector.
And that could be one of the most important pieces of the EV puzzle. Because the future of electric motoring isn’t just about bigger batteries, faster cars or increasingly clever software. It’s about infrastructure.
If New Zealand can get to 10,000 public chargers by 2030, the question for potential EV buyers may finally shift from: “Where am I going to charge it?” to: “Which EV should I buy?” And that’s a much nicer problem to have.
