Fifteen Wellington street EV charging stations confirmed

Work is expected to start before July on 15 street EV charging stations confirmed by the Wellington City Council.

The council and ChargeNet NZ will each contribute 25% of the cost, with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) providing half.

Users will pay to use the chargers and receive a text message encouraging them to move on after charging is completed.

The chargers are typically located in areas with little off-street parking such as Newtown and Aro Valley and also include a location outside Wellington Zoo, so people can charge while they visit one of the city’s most popular destinations.

The council will work with residents to identify a further 10 charging locations.

It says the first set of EV charging stations in residential areas will enable those people who don’t have off-street parking and are unable to charge their vehicles at home to buy and operate an electric car. More than 17,000 Wellington properties face this obstacle to recharging, the council says.

This initiative is part of a two-year pilot that will assess whether there is a viable market for slow charging in Wellington’s residential streets.

“We have a number of charging stations in the CBD but residential charging stations will mean EVs could be a practical option for Wellingtonians wanting to make the switch to them,” mayor Justin Lester says.

Council transport portfolio leader councillor Chris Calvi-Freeman sees it as a positive step to reducing carbon emissions.

“Road transport currently contributes 38% of the city’s emissions,” he says. “We want to help Wellingtonians to make good, environmentally friendly choices by making charging facilities available to those who could not otherwise access them.”

Last year the council asked Wellingtonians who was interested in purchasing EVs in the near future and where they thought chargers should be available.

More than 80 requests were received. Following further consultation, 15 of the 17 locations put forward were confirmed by councillors.

These include Rodney St, Holloway Rd, Epuni St, Miramar North Rd, Hornsey Rd, Jackson St, Melbourne Rd, Coromandel St near 66 and 4, Wright St, Karepa St, Stanley St, Hall St, Austin St, and Manchester St near Wellington Zoo

Two sites not approved in Bank Rd and Mersey St will be revisited later.