EVs charging into 2023

EV charging has been a hot topic over the summer as the popularity of electric vehicles continues to steadily trend upward. Photo / Alan Gibson

EV charging has been a hot topic over the summer as the popularity of electric vehicles continues to steadily trend upward, says the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority (EECA).

“2022 saw a 39 per cent increase in electric cars on our roads, and our latest consumer survey data shows 50 per cent of New Zealanders are now considering an EV for their next vehicle purchase — up from 48 per cent the previous quarter.”

“We’ve been supporting this surging interest in EVs on our Gen Less channels with information about charging at home and on the road. If you or your friends or family are considering an EV purchase or planning for a first big EV road trip, check out the website.

“With the number of EVs in New Zealand growing rapidly, we need to ensure we can meet the increased demand for public charging infrastructure. Our Low Emission Transport Fund (LETF) supports this objective, and one of our current funding rounds (round 6) specifically prioritises destination EV charging projects. Applications for this round close Wednesday, 8 February. To date, the fund has contributed around $18 million to 726 public chargers, which is most of the public network so far. There are now chargers every 75km on most of the state highway network, and the focus now is on increasing the numbers, particularly in key spots.”

“If you’re interested in funding in LETF round 7 — which prioritises offroad electric vehicles — remember that Wednesday, 1 February is the last day to submit applications. In February, team EECA will be jumping on our bicycles to make the most of the good weather and support the Aotearoa Bike Challenge. This year we’re supporting Love to Ride with the Gen Less Bike More O’meter — a challenge within the challenge for New Zealanders to collectively ride 1,000,000km to and from work, in the interest of drawing attention to the impact of transport emissions on the climate.”

“A reminder for industrial businesses who have process heat-related decarbonisation projects in the pipeline to visit the EECA website and find out whether they fit the criteria for co-funding. Applications for GIDI round 5 funding close on Thursday, 2 March. We have also released new research on energy use in the food and beverage sector. This diverse sector is a large user of energy across different processes, but information about its energy consumption has been limited. This research will support the decarbonisation work we’re doing with the food product manufacturing sector.”