Hikotron opens Blenheim EV charging hub

The first Hikotron public EV charging hub accepting contactless card payments has opened in Blenheim.

It has four 22kW AC charge points adding around 120km range an hour.

The EV charging hub is in the Wynen Street car park and, through an agreement with the Marlborough District Council, aims to make EV charging accessible to the local community, businesses, and visitors – encouraging cleaner vehicles into the town centre.

Charging an EV in Blenheim now becomes as simple as parking and going about your business – whether it’s shopping, working, dining, visiting friends, attending appointments, exploring the local area or enjoying a leisurely walk, says Hikotron.

The Blenheim charging hub introduces integrated contactless card payment activation.

 “Contactless card payment is an essential part of EV charging infrastructure for the mass adoption of electric vehicles,” says Hikotron co-founder Stephanie Smits O’Callaghan.

It simplifies the process and makes EV charging accessible to everyone.”

Tapping a credit card can initiate the charging session, eliminating the need for mobile apps or separate accounts, she explains.

Users can also manage their charging sessions through the Hikotron mobile app, offering real-time monitoring of the charging session.

Hikotron chargers feature a patent-pending self-rescue cable release system, developed after Hikotron co-founder Ron Smits says their charging cable got stuck in Europe and they had to retrieve the cable a few weeks later.

“That’s why we developed the self-cable release technology for the Hikotron network.”

The cost for activating the session via mobile app and credit card are the same – 50c/kWh – and a $30 pre-authorisation applies for the credit card method.

Click here for more information on Hamilton-based Hikotron.