Powerco wants EV owners for smart EV charging project

Tauranga-based energy company Powerco seeks up to 80 North Island EV owners to participate in an up to three-year project to learn about when and how people charge EVs at home.

It will install an EV smart charger in participants’ homes for free and those who successfully finish the project get to keep it.

Participants must be EV owners based in the North Island, ideally in Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, South Waikato, Taranaki, Whanganui, Manawatu and Wairarapa, Powerco says.

Those interested must complete a 10-minute survey

to assess whether the house and EV meet requirements.

“If your house and EV are suitable, we’ll contact you by email within two to three weeks to arrange to visit your property,” Powerco says.

“We’ll then let you know whether or not you can participate in the project.”

The project will use 7.4kW EV home smart charging units which can send, receive and collect data. Later in the project, Powerco says it will also manage the periods during which participants charge, to avoid times of peak electricity demand.

Powerco hopes to have all the smart chargers installed by January 2021 and says the project will run for two years with the option of extending it for a third year.

Visit Powerco’s website

for more information.