New course trains NZ electricians to install home EV chargers

Skills Trades Training is launching an EV charging installation and commissioning course for registered electrical workers, as plug-in vehicles take a growing share of new car registrations.

Motor Trade Association figures show 3,317 new battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles were registered in October, up 174% on the same month last year. Plug-ins made up 22.7% of new light vehicle registrations, up from 8.9% a year earlier. The MTA puts the rise partly down to higher fuel prices and partly to registrations catching up with purchases made earlier in the year. We covered October’s numbers here.

Skills Trades Training programme manager David Kite says the charger itself is often the easy part of a job.

“A charger enquiry might seem straightforward until you open the switchboard or discover the customer wants it installed on the other side of the property,” says Kite. “Getting the job done right the first time is what customers value and remember. This course gives electrical workers the practical skills and confidence to deliver a safe, tested and documented installation, every time.”

The Electrical Workers Registration Board says EV charging puts extra demand on household electrical systems, so a proper assessment is needed to avoid overloading and fire risk.

The course was developed with Schneider Electric, and participants train on its chargers. They assess a property’s supply, choose equipment, and install, test and commission home chargers, working through fault-finding scenarios. It focuses on home charging but also introduces commercial charging, smart charging, and vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid systems.

“EV charging is quickly becoming part of how households and businesses manage their energy, not just another circuit on the switchboard,” says Schneider Electric e-mobility lead Aaron Edgecombe. “Customers will look to their electrician to advise on the whole picture: what their property can support today, how charging fits alongside their other loads, and how the setup can grow with them.”

Course details

• Open to registered electrical workers with a current EWRB practising licence
• About 20 hours online plus an eight-hour practical workshop, 28 hours over eight weeks
• Workshops in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington, capped at 12 learners
• Covers site and supply assessment, equipment selection, installation, testing, commissioning, fault-finding, maintenance and customer handover
• $750 including GST
• Enrolments open 30 November 2026 at skillstrades.co.nz