Nine more 300kW ChargeNet NZ chargers to come

ChargeNet NZ is extending its 300kW high-power EV charging network after recently opening its first pair of Dual 300kW Hyperchargers at Bombay in Auckland.

Seven more Dual 300kW Hyperchargers will be installed in Kaiwaka, Bulls, Christchurch and on Auckland’s North Shore following funding help in Round 8 of the government’s low emission vehicles contestable fund.

Taupo will also get two of them after earlier Round 7 approval from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) administered fund.

“Despite the fact, there’s no EV on the New Zealand market capable of charging at 300kW, ChargeNet is preparing for a future when more vehicles can handle higher levels of power,” company founder and chief executive Steve West says.

The Porsche Taycan is probably the first production vehicle likely to use the 300kW Hyperchargers when it arrives later this year, as it has an 800-volt system instead of the usual 400, and is able to charge to 80% in 20 minutes.

The Hyperchargers will allow EV drivers to quickly add hundreds of kilometres of driving range in the time it takes to stop for lunch and a coffee, ChargeNet NZ points out.

Each station can charge two CCS vehicles at up to 300kW and one Chademo vehicle at up to 62kW, allowing charging for up to six EVs at the Bombay Service Centre simultaneously.

Specific EVs can charge six times faster than on ChargeNet’s standard 50kW stations, enabling the newest generation of EVs to add 300km of charge in only 10 minutes.

“One of the most often cited pain points for EV owners is the length of time it takes to charge,” West says.

“By installing more Hyperchargers across the country, we are removing an extra barrier of uptake and accelerating EV adoption.

“Ultimately this will help New Zealanders reduce their carbon emissions and work towards the goal of New Zealand becoming carbon neutral by 2050.”