Fast charger opening extends rollout

The official opening of a fast charger at Pak’nSave Mill Street Hamilton on June 26 pushes the nationwide rollout closer to about 70 supermarkets in 60 towns by the end of this year.

Hamilton mayor Andrew King opened the charger with store owner operator Hamish Walton saying Foodstuffs is committed to sustainable practices and promoting the uptake of clean energy transport.

“We’re helping to promote the future of transport in a high-profile Hamilton City location and giving electric vehicle owners a convenient place to recharge,” Walton says.

A variety of EVs were showcased at the opening, together with the supermarket’s electric delivery van.

The charger comes from collaboration between ChargeNet NZ, Foodstuffs, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).

King says the initiative will enable Hamilton residents, businesses, and visitors to transition to environmentally friendly vehicles and move more rapidly to a low carbon future.

About 15,000 EVs are now registered in New Zealand and account for more than 2% of monthly car sales.

ChargeNet NZ has more than 130 operating fast-charging stations, with half of these at New World, Pak’nSave and Four Square stores around the country.

“This charger forms another essential building block in the ChargeNet network, opening up more of our beautiful country to the electric revolution and helping to shape New Zealand’s sustainable transport future,” ChargeNet NZ chief executive officer Steve West says.

Foodstuffs also has 28 electric delivery vans nationwide, is in the process of buying three electric logistics trucks with a goal for most of its light vehicle fleet to be electric by 2025.