First EV fast charging station for Gisborne

Gisborne will get its first electric vehicle (EV) fast charging station by the end of July.

Eastland Group, which owns lines company Eastland Network, will install a new Terra 53 charging station in Gladstone Road, the city’s main street.

Electrinet will lay cabling from the Eastland Network transformer on Read’s Quay.

“We’re excited about this next step in opening up the region to electric vehicles,” Eastland Group business development general manager Gavin Murphy says.

“To encourage electric car drivers to visit our region, and help grow the uptake of EVs amongst locals, we’ll be offering free charging until the end of the year.

“It will take 20 to 30 minutes for a fast, full charge, so while people are waiting they can check out the shops and grab a coffee.”

Murphy says groups of EV owners regularly tour around the country, and have expressed interest in visiting, so building more fast charging stations could open up the whole East Coast to EV drivers.

“People may wonder why we’re doing this now, when there are still only a few EVs and hybrids in the region,” Murphy says.

“EVs are cheap for owners to run and, because they operate on 80% renewable energy in this country they help reduce carbon emissions.

“The positive economic, environmental and tourism benefits are potentially huge.”
EV registrations last month were the strongest on record.