Springs Junction EV charging site opens

Meridian’s EV charging station at Springs Junction on a key route between Christchurch and Nelson is ready.

The project fills a gap in the South Island’s charging network and make journeys much easier for EV drivers, says Meridian, adding the EV charging station has been in the works for about two years.

“The remote location of Springs Junction and nature of its local electricity network meant our normal way of delivering chargers went out the window, because the secure electricity supply we need just isn’t there,” says Meridian principal product manager Tim Calder.

“The local network is at capacity for about 19 hours a day, and during that time there’s only about 4kW available at this site – barely enough to boil a jug let alone charge an EV,” says Calder, adding plenty of capacity is available between 11pm and 4am.

That gave Meridian an idea and led to the breakthrough that made the Springs Junction project possible, he says.

Meridian’s Zero brand EV chargers are being supported by three 120kWh battery energy storage system (BESS) units using recycled Nissan Leaf batteries to store energy.

The BESS units charge overnight, when pressure on the local network is at its lowest, before releasing power to the chargers throughout the day.

Because charging can’t be guaranteed as it can at other sites, Meridian has set up a landing page to provide EV drivers with up-to-date information about the site’s availability.

With information updated every five minutes, drivers will be able to see how many kWh are available in the BESS units, allowing them to make informed decisions about whether to pass through Springs Junction or choose a different route.

“We’re urging drivers to only take what they need while there are limited kilowatts available. This is a long way from a normal EV charging set-up, but it’s a great example of Kiwi ingenuity and doing what’s needed to get the job done for our customers,” says Calder.

“This project has taken longer than expected, and it’s really tested the thinking of our team as they’ve worked to overcome challenges along the way,” he says.

“We appreciate the understanding and patience of the community while we delivered this solution.

“We hope it works well for EV drivers, and we’ll be keeping a close eye on the site and driver feedback to see whether we need to make any further changes.”

Springs Junction is one of several remote sites where Meridian is using innovative solutions to meet the needs of EV drivers and improve travel throughout the South Island.

In 2022, Meridian was awarded Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) co-funding from the low emissions transport fund (LETF) to address critical, challenging sites at Kohatu, Haast, Harihari, Springs Junction, and St Arnaud in the South Island.

The planned Harihari charging site has since been moved to The Lonely Stag in Whataroa, Meridian says.

With the Kohatu and Springs Junction projects completed Meridian says work is underway to upgrade the power supply and install chargers at the remaining three locations.