Phone boxes transform into charging stations

New electric vehicle (EV) charging stations are coming to the Kapiti Coast in the form of phone boxes.
Spark and Kapiti Coast District Council are partnering to extend the Spark Plugs scheme, which allows charging at the boxes.

The new chargers will be free for anyone to use for the first 12 months. Five Spark Plugs are planned to begin with and will be installed over the next few months.

Other chargers have already been rolled out in the north and south of Auckland.

The lower power chargers are designed to provide a ‘top up’ of energy, enabling EVs to run 20-40 kilometres from a 60-minute charge depending on the car.

The deal sees each organisation fund 50% of the installation costs, with Spark covering operational costs for the Spark Plugs and council taking responsibility for maintaining the associated carparks.

Spark Ventures chief executive Ed Hyde says the initial pilot in Auckland has been an overwhelming success, with the chargers being used every day.

“Electric vehicles are the future of transport – they’re important to building a low-carbon society and they’re increasingly affordable, but what we don’t have yet is the widespread charging infrastructure to support and reassure EV drivers.

“Spark Plugs is an innovative attempt at helping to solve this problem. By repurposing what many consider to be a bit of antiquated technology, we can help drive EV adoption forward and do our bit for New Zealand.”

Council’s group manager strategy and planning Sarah Stevenson says it is pleased to support the development of public charging infrastructure to help more people make the transition to EVs.

The planned locations are Waikanae Park and Ride (in association with Greater Wellington Regional Council), Waikanae Beach, Paraparaumu Beach, Raumati Beach and Paekākāriki. These will be listed on plugshare.com – a crowdsourcing app that plots charging stations all over the world.

The first installation is likely to be at the Spark phone box on Tutere Street, Waikanae Beach within a few months.
More information about how to use Spark Plugs is available at spark.co.nz/plug