NZTA land for charging infrastructure?

Transport minister Simon Bridges has welcomed the move by BMW to back Charge Net NZ in its roll out of electric vehicle charging infrastructure but says there is still a part for the government to play in the issue.

BMW Group New Zealand has announced it will partner with Charge Net NZ to help stimulate the installation of a network of fast-charging EV stations. More than 100 stations will be installed across New Zealand.

“A big barrier preventing households and businesses from choosing EVs is the limited availability of public charging infrastructure. Increasing the number of charging stations will give New Zealanders the confidence to use EVs for longer distance traveling,” Bridges says.

“This initiative to grow an electric highway of fast charging stations is a great example of the innovation and partnership approach that needs happen to help us meet our target of 64,000 EVs on NZ roads by 2021.”

Bridges told Auto Media Group at the launch event that he originally wanted the government to fund charging infrastructure, but was given advice, and accepted, that it was better to allow it to grow organically.

“That is a vindication of that decision,” he says. “We are going to have one of the most comprehensive charging networks for a country of our size in the world.”

He says in coming weeks the government will issue work on establishing standards for charging infrastructure, including plug standardisation.

He also suggested to Auto Media Group he is looking at having the NZ Transport Agency, which controls the land under and around major highways and motorways, make space available for charging infrastructure.

“There is a real role for the NZTA to be as enabling as they possibly can.”

Bridges believes while commercial charging may not be entirely financially viable now, Charge Net is putting itself in a strong position for the future, and that current free charging cannot remain that way forever.

“I think there is no question that energy isn’t free, whether you are talking old fashioned fossil fuels or electricity.”