Levin charger marks network’s halfway point

Climate change minister James Shaw officially opened New World Levin’s ChargeNet NZ DC fast charger on July 5.

With a nationwide focus on reducing New Zealand’s reliance on fossil fuels as part of the move to a zero carbon economy, the high-speed charger is another milestone in encouraging the uptake of electric vehicles, he says.

The Levin location is on State Highway 1, an hour’s drive north of Wellington and about 40 minutes south of Palmerston North.

The opening marks the half way point in the installation of 50 chargers at Foodstuffs’ stores around the country by the end of 2018.

The project is supported by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) through its low emission vehicles contestable fund, with ChargeNet NZ providing the stations.

“We are excited that the district’s first charging station has opened this week. It will boost local awareness of the technology and help support the smooth driving of electric vehicles on a very busy highway between Palmerston North and Wellington,” Horowhenua District Council mayor Michael Feyen says.

New World Levin owner operator Matthew Rollinson says the supermarket retailer is committed to sustainable practices, along with parent company Foodstuffs North Island.

“We’re creating a one-stop shop with an electric car fast charger conveniently located at our store, and this complements our online delivery service that uses an all-electric van.”

ChargeNet NZ chief executive officer Steve West says, “Our rationale for investing in building this electric highway across New Zealand is that a user-friendly network with handily located chargers, like this one in Levin, will eliminate the anxiety of batteries running low.

“This gives Kiwis more confidence to invest in electric vehicles – speeding up our transition towards a zero carbon economy.”