Charging ahead with Chargemaster

This story first appeared in the August issue of EVTalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

Chargemaster is bringing world-leading technology to New Zealand to help power its electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.

It’s supporting the government’s ambitions to transform the country from fossil fuel dependence for transport to locally generated renewable electricity, a broad goal supported by most political parties.

Chargemaster is concentrating mainly on bringing in intelligent AC charging for light vehicles (residential, public and fleet) and electric bus and heavy vehicle charging.

After a comprehensive global scan, it has selected Dutch-based company Heliox for heavy vehicle charging (bus, mining and port vehicles) and Austria-based Keba for intelligent residential, public, fleet and commercial charging.

Heliox is an established European market leader, with more than 85% of the total electric bus charging market.

Keba has a proven AC charging solution for light vehicles, with more than 35,000 chargers sold globally. With significant intelligence built-in, Keba is also an approved charger for six leading EV car manufacturers.

Tranzit Coachlines recently announced the mid-2018 roll-out of new electric buses in Wellington.

The technology is proven in Europe with more than 1300 electric buses delivered or on order in 25 European cities.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, Chargemaster chief executive Nigel Broomhall says.

In China in 2015 more than 170,000 electric buses were operating, he says.

In the city of Shenzhen alone, 4887 fully electric buses were running. By the end of 2017, all of the city’s buses will be fully electrified, in accordance with municipal government requirements, making a total 16,493 e-buses.

Broomhall says the Asia-Pacific
region is the electric bus manufacturing leader.

Although the European market is one of the leading regions for electric bus research and development – including vehicle technology – Asia-Pacific is home to some of the biggest producers of both buses and batteries, he says.

Broomhall, a former electricity industry senior executive with more than 16 years’ experience in New Zealand, Australia and Europe, is supported at Chargemaster by chairman Mark Gilbert and two directors.

The team has extensive experience in the automotive sales and parts industry, as well as in the electricity industry.

Chargemaster believes New Zealand has sufficient renewable energy to fuel the country’s transition to EVs.

But although its electricity grids are strong enough to cope, they won’t if all the EVs are charging at the same time, Broomhall says.

“This increased peak electricity demand, if not done intelligently, could mean electricity networks need to spend more on strengthening them.

“It could also mean we need more generation to feed these peak periods – and that means more cost for all of us.”
Chargemaster’s mission is to provide customers with the highest quality, value-for-money intelligent chargers which are higher capacity (charge faster), smart (know to charge when costs are lower), have fleet communications in-built and have electricity meters included for public charging.

Its products range from cables for electric cars to wall boxes, public chargers and even bus chargers.
See chargemaster.co.nz for details.