How good is New Zealand’s charging network?

As of August 2022, New Zealand has 340 public chargers for electric vehicles, according to the NZTA’s helpful map, up from just 20 at the end of 2016. Across Aotearoa, there’s at least one charging station every 75 kilometres of state highway almost everywhere (you can see the exceptions on the NZTA map).

That compares very well to some nations – for instance, there are 10 European nations with fewer than one charger per 100km, according to an EY report. Australia’s network was rated one of the world’s worst a few years ago, with more recent reports noting that stations are often out of order. Maintenance of the US charging infrastructure also seems to be a problem.

Right now, our electric vehicle (EV) charging network is getting a solid pass. But with sales of pure battery EVs up 345 percent in 2021 compared to 2020, will it be able to keep up?

Demand is rising rapidly

“We’re seeing significant increases in use, with bumps on public holidays and in the school holidays,” says Martin Miles, COO of ChargeNet, which is responsible for more than 280 charging stations across the country. He says queues at charging stations are more common than they used to be as New Zealand reaches a tipping point in EV ownership.

“The trend line shows usage is doubling every year. Currently EVs have around one percent market penetration – and as that goes up, we’ll need more infrastructure in the ground to meet the demand. We’re planning to increase the power availability, provide more carparks and chargers at each site, and deliver better customer service.”

That’s an expensive exercise, but with governments across the world committed to phasing out internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, support should be assured. At COP26, New Zealand was one of 28 nations that committed to a declaration banning the sale of ICE cars and vans by 2040 or earlier. We also agreed to “make zero emission vehicles the new normal by making them accessible, affordable and sustainable in all regions by 2030.” Essentially, the Government has promised to make sure our infrastructure keeps up with demand, which will mean major investment in the EV charging network over the next few years.

Expanding existing networks, plus new players in the market

Both existing and new providers are in the process of adding more stations to the national network.

Most providers are focusing on fast chargers, so these will gradually make up a larger proportion of our network, which will save you time when you charge. Currently you can find a range of different charging speeds; after charging for 30 minutes, you might get between 40km and 170km of range, depending on your car’s battery size and the type of charger.

ChargeNet has committed to installing an additional 400 charging points over the next three years, at varying capabilities up to a maximum of 300kW, which will provide ‘hyper-rapid’ charging. There are other new players coming to market, and quite a few retailers have ‘charge as you shop’ options – these are growing steadily, though not rapidly. Some of New Zealand’s existing chargers are completely free while others require payment of up to $10 per 100km of charge.

How worried should you be about finding somewhere to charge?

It’s important to note that the best way to charge your vehicle is overnight at home, not only because it’s convenient and cost-effective, but also because it smooths out demand on the national grid, which reduces load and cuts our reliance on fossil fuels.

“Unlike a petrol car, where you do 100 percent of your filling up at gas station, with an EV you’ll usually do 80% of your charging at home – and most of us have off-street parking,” says Martin. “That means the public charging infrastructure only needs to deliver 15 to 20 percent of overall charging. Then you can travel around the country and publicly charge when you need to.”

You might be concerned that an EV out of the question if you can’t charge at home. People who live in apartments, for instance, or who have no off-street parking, may need to think carefully before buying a battery electric vehicle. However, Martin points out that both the ChargeNet and Genesis offices are part of an increasing trend toward providing EV charging in workplaces, which can provide a reliable alternative for those who can’t charge at home.   

“We have two employees who live in the inner city, drive EVs, and use public charging for 100 percent of their requirements because we have it at the office,” says Martin. “Ultimately, if you have a charging option at home, at the office and on the public network, you can have comfort that you’ll always be close to a charger. It’s rare to hear of people running out of charge and being stuck, and in those rare circumstances, the AA now offers a mobile EV battery service where they’ll charge your battery sufficient to get you to the nearest charging station or home.

“Range anxiety should largely be gone for consumers now.”