Horowhenua District councillor Robert Ketu and Horowhenua mayor Bernie Wanden take a seat in an electric vehicle at the new charging station in Shannon.
Horowhenua District councillor Robert Ketu and Horowhenua mayor Bernie Wanden take a seat in an electric vehicle at the new charging station in Shannon.
An intensely purple Tesla car was one of the first electric vehicles to use a new charging station after it was officially opened in Shannon this week.
Two electric vehicle fast-charging stations were now available for public use beside the railway station in the Te Maire Park carpark in Shannon.
The Tesla 2019 Model 3 SR+ is owned by Palmerston North man and electric car enthusiast Graeme Fenemor, and was one of a number of electric vehicles on show that lined up for a recharge.
"It's satin-metallic purple," he said.
Kaelee Pilkington (closest to camera) and her classmates have a close inspection of Graeme Fenemor's electric purple 2019 Tesla Model 3 SR+.
Fenemor's car wasn't the only electric vehicle on show, but it grabbed the most attention. It first arrived in New Zealand in September last year.
Horowhenua mayor Bernie Wanden and district councillor Robert Ketu couldn't resist the invitation to sit inside as it silently idled near the curb.
"You can't even hear it," Ketu said.
Fenemor said he was attracted to electric vehicles. While the purchase price was $76,000, he said they were cheap to run as they had "no maintenance and servicing requirements".
He charged his car at home during off-peak hours and from solar panels he had installed.
"It's more powerful than cars I have had previously. You don't have the jerk of changing gears. It's smooth," he said.
The only downside to electric vehicles was that he had to charge every "three or four hours" for about 15-20 minutes.
He said waiting for the battery to recharge was a timely excuse to take a break from driving.
Horowhenua District councillor for the Miranui Ward Robert Ketu formally opens the new electric charging station at Shannon.
Meanwhile, the charging station completes a network of electric vehicle infrastructure available in Horowhenua, with stations already available in Levin and Foxton. There were now nine fast-charging stations installed in five towns across Horowhenua and Kāpiti.
The charging stations are a partnership of Horowhenua District Council, Kāpiti Coast District Council, Electra Ltd and ChargeNet NZ.
Each of the chargers in Shannon can operate a power level of 50kW, enough to add about 300km of driving range per hour of charge.
Meanwhile, as the Miranui Ward councillor, Ketu blessed the site with a karakia and reflected on the connection between past, present and future in the area.
"Te Maire is a place with historical significance for our community and iwi. It's up to us to make sure the past is not forgotten as well as to look to the future. Today we are bringing special progress and development to our community as we place these charging stations here to benefit our next generation and the community of today," he said.
He was joined by students and teachers of Shannon School at the opening, as well as members of the public and representatives from Electra and ChargeNet.
