Northland's first hyper-rapid electric vehicle charging station installed

The new ChargeNet hyper-rapid (300kW) electric vehicle charging station - Northland's first - at Kaiwaka.

Northland's first hyper-rapid charging station has been installed at Kaiwaka to give electric vehicle owners a faster fill up.

ChargeNet has opened the region's first hyper-rapid (300kW) charging location, meaning electric vehicles (EV) can now 'fill up' at Gull Kaiwaka.

The charging location joins the existing hyper-rapid sites at Bombay and Taupō, as well as an additional 250 rapid charging stations across the country.

Co-funded by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) through round eight of the Low Emission Transport Fund, the Kaiwaka location is the first for ChargeNet's partner, Gull.

The Dual 300kW Hyperchargers, installed and managed by ChargeNet, are located at the Gull service station on State Highway 1.

The site is strategically located at the gateway to Northland, to help minimise range anxiety for EV drivers and increases the charge points available on the ChargeNet network in Northland from 23 to 29.

Specific EV models can charge at the 300kW hyper-rapid charging station six times faster than on ChargeNet's standard 50kW charging stations, enabling the newest generation of EVs to add up to 400km of charge in 15 minutes and backed up by 100 per cent renewable energy.

ChargeNet communications manager Bailey Gorst expects that the location will be well used over the summer, given the pent-up demand for summer travel.

"We are committed to providing a convenient and reliable charging experience for all EV drivers. By building a site that provides charging for up to six EVs simultaneously, we are minimising queuing and congestion," Gorst said.

The continued development of the hyper-rapid EV charging network by ChargeNet will see an additional 18 hyper-rapid EV charging stations constructed along major routes from Auckland to Queenstown over the next 18 months.

"With the Government's support, ChargeNet is rolling out a world-class network of hyper-rapid charging stations, powered by 100 per cent renewable energy. Projects such as these reduce household transport emissions and ultimately help New Zealand transition to a low carbon future," Gorst said.

Karl Mischewski – Gull's Future Energy lead said EV charging at traditional service stations will increasingly become more commonplace as Kiwis begin the transition to future energy options, and we see the uptake of EVs take-off over the next decade.

Visit www.charge.net.nz/map to find a rapidcharging station near you.