Hutt adds more EV chargers

Nearly 40 new EV charging stations have been added in Lower Hutt by the Hutt City Council and Meridian Energy.

That ensures most Lower Hutt residents now live within about four kilometres of an EV charging station.

Lower Hutt mayor Campbell Barry will host an event celebrating the opening of the 38 charging stations at Avalon Playground carpark on Saturday June 10, 10am-noon, where residents will be able to take an EV for a test drive.

The 20 DC and 18 AC charging stations have been installed since December 2021 with co-funding from the Government’s Low Emission Transport Fund (LETF), administered by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).

“As we front up to climate change, we need to make it easier for our people to reduce emissions as they get around our city,” says Barry.

“That includes making it easier to use an electric vehicle across Lower Hutt by increasing our EV charging infrastructure.

“I’m pleased to be officially opening some of our new EV charging stations this weekend and encourage residents to come down to Avalon to check them out.”

The Hutt City Council has invested $830,000 of the total $1.2 million cost, with $370,000 co-funded by EECA.

Hutt City Council climate and solid waste head Jörn Scherzer says half the council’s fleet is already electric, and EVs are now a normal part of council operations.

The EV charging stations are at Seaview Marina, Moera Library, Walter Nash Centre, Kōraunui Stokes Valley Community Hub, Avalon Playground and Wainuiomata Community Hub

Other EV charging in Lower Hutt includes the Ricoh Sports Centre, BP Melling, Queensgate Shopping Centre (rooftop carpark, next to the Level 2 entrance), Dowse Museum, Countdown Wainuiomata, Petone Pak’nSave, Z Petone, Days Bay and Williams Park, Eastbourne Village.

All sites feature 25kW units, which add about 100km range with a 40 minute charge for a typical EV. Avalon Playground at Fairway Drive and the Wainuiomata library also feature a 75kW unit each, adding about 100km range in 15 minutes.

The Government’s draft EV charging strategy, out for consultation, aims for one public charging station with limited off-street parking for every 20-40 EVs in urban areas, and for all settlements with a population of 2000 or more to have public charging at municipal or community facilities by 2025.

As of March 2023, there were 1844 EVs registered in Lower Hutt, meaning the Hutt City Council’s current charging station to EV ratio is 27.