Free EV charging at selected Auckland carparks

Free EV charging is provided at Auckland Council carparks under a new partnership.

Auckland Transport (AT) and ChargeNet NZ have formed a strategic partnership to install the first 27 of a network of 60 free standard EV charging stations around Auckland.

The first are at the Downtown carpark – level 1B (six chargers), Fanshawe Street – level 1A (six), Victoria Street – level six entry (three), Ronwood in Manukau – ground floor entry (six), and the Civic carpark – level one (six).

AT, which runs 20 EVs and two electric buses, was awarded $160,000 from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) low emission vehicles contestable fund for EV charging infrastructure around the city.

“Transport accounts for about 38% of our city’s emissions. Providing EV charging infrastructure starts the journey on the encouragement of EV uptake in Auckland,” AT chief strategy officer Cynthia Gillespie says.

This approach, along with a mode shift to public transport, has the potential to significantly reduce the current level of greenhouse gas emissions.”

ChargeNet NZ chief executive officer Steve West says the partnership demonstrates how local government transport providers and the private sector can work together to promote clean energy options and make it easy for motorists to switch to accelerate EV uptake.

“More than half the 8000 EVs registered in New Zealand are in the Auckland region,” he says. “Now users can park, plug in and recharge with no worries and continue with their business while their car gets a top up.”

West says the network also removes range anxiety and provides the convenience of recharging on the go.

Auckland’s free charging stations are standard AC and provide a top-up as most EV drivers will still recharge overnight at home or at a ChargeNet station.

To use the chargers, you need to have a ChargeNet account. To start the charger you can use the free ChargeNet app (available from Google Play or the Apple Store), a ChargeNet fob, or visit charge.net.nz

Users need to bring their own cables, either Type 2 to Type 1 (j1772) or Type 2 to Type 2. Charging units are socketed and have no cables attached.

Normal parking fees apply.

Visit charge.net.nz/about/ac-charger-project for charging locations.

ChargeNet NZ is pioneering the installation of a nationwide recharging network from Invercargill to Kaitaia and has supplied 79 fast chargers. More than 100 chargers will be operating by the end of 2018.