Wellington adding 30 more EV fast chargers

Almost half a million dollars in funding will enable the Wellington City Council to roll out 30 EV fast chargers across council sites in the city.

The council secured $498,785 in round 10 of the Government’s Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund which, along with the Hutt City Council’s $372,000 funding in the same round for 20 fast chargers across eight sites, will allow the two councils in partnership with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (ECCA) to create a network of chargers throughout the Wellington region.

About 3000 EVs operate in the wider Wellington region, but only 30 charge points are in Wellington City – 14 of them fast chargers able to fully charge a car in under an hour whereas slow chargers take five or six hours.

Wellington City Council mayor Andy Foster says funding of $498,785 for the Charged Up Capital project is another step in the journey towards reaching the city’s goal of becoming a net carbon neutral capital by 2050.

“Around 35% of Wellington City’s emissions come from road transport, so this is an opportunity to support Wellingtonians who want to transition to an EV but don’t have access to off street parking or garaging,” he says.

“Expanding our charging infrastructure will help provide reassurance for anyone wanting to transition to electric.”

Demand for EV charging stations is expected to greatly increase, driven by the likely growth in EV numbers as climate action gains pace and EV costs reduce, Foster believes.

He says installing EV charging stations is an important part of growing that demand and complements the public transport network, as well as supporting those who commuted out of hours or for whom travelling by bus or train isn’t possible.

“In Wellington, electric vehicles and car share services combine with New Zealand’s highest level of walking, cycling and public transport use, made possible by our compact city urban form.

“We continue to be committed to climate action to achieve the city’s targets of becoming a zero carbon capital, a goal supported by the 92% of Wellingtonians surveyed who prioritised climate change action.”

The funding was announced by energy and resources minister Dr Megan Woods on July 9, as part of the final round of the LEVCF in its present form.

The Government will progressively increase the size and scope of the LEVCF to $25 million annually by 2023/2024, expanding the scope of the fund to tackle transport’s climate impact and encourage more growth in the low-emissions technology sector.

It will be renamed the Low Emissions Transport Fund, with details to be announced by October.