Bridges to buy EV; Still no support for rollout

Transport and energy minister Simon Bridges opened Auckland’s newest rapid-charger for electric vehicles today – confirming he will soon be switching to such a vehicle.

The new station, based like the earlier Hobson street one at a Vector substation, is at the corner of Gilles Ave and Seccombes Road.

Vector management, members of the Auckland Energy Consumers Trust, and local MP David Seymour, were among guests.

Bridges has been expected for some time to back his strong support for EVs with some form of government support, but today was not the day.

Bridges noted the current roll-out of vehicles and charging was market led.

“It is doing that on market principals, and what that needs is the regulatory framework, but then in addition to that leadership from the likes of Vector and AECT,” Bridges says.

“Doing something for the first time takes a lot of courage, and that is what you are doing with your rollout, first in the CBD and now in Newmarket,” Bridges says.

“But it is a clever thing to do, you are getting yourself ahead of the curve, getting that first mover advantage.”

He did note he will be purchasing an EV in the next few months but has yet to decide what that will be.