Christchurch to get EV network

Christchurch’s Orion lines company is the latest to announce plans for an electric vehicle charging network in its territory.

The network of charging stations is targeted to be in place in and around the city by the end of 2016.

It is working with the Christchurch EV Forum, which includes among its members Christchurch City Council, Meridian and Contact Energy.

“While we expect EV drivers would usually take advantage of cheaper overnight charging at home, we’re going to put in place the infrastructure to help ensure they have the freedom to go where they want, when they want,” says Orion chief executive Rob Jamieson.

“Electric vehicle technology is improving all the time; prices continue to fall and given their benefits it’s hard to see a future where EVs don’t dominate our roads. We want to encourage that future and be a leader in it.”

Jamieson says the rollout of a network of charging stations will help drivers overcome what is known as ‘range anxiety’, as electric vehicles on the market today only have a range of just over 100km to 400km.

“It’s a chicken and egg scenario when it comes to EVs,” he notes. “People are reluctant to buy EVs due to a perceived fear of not being able to get home if they drive further than they had planned, while EVs won’t improve in range and capability unless people buy them.

“So we are taking the lead on our future and adopting a ‘build it and they will come’ approach.”

The forum members are working together to determine the most appropriate locations for the chargers. More details on the rollout will be announced early next year.