Christmas comes early for electric vehicle owners in Winton

Christmas has come early for owners of electric vehicles in Southland with the opening of a fast charging station in Winton.

The installation, supported by the EECA through their Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund, is located at 293 Great North Road in the carpark of Winton New World.

This is part of ChargeNet’s commitment to install rapid-charge electric vehicle charging stations across the region and forms an important component of the Southland Network.

The station, which is the second opened in the region, the other being located in Invercargill, will be joined by future installations in Gore, Garston, and Lumsden.

ChargeNet Chief Executive Steve West has found working with PowerNet to be a great experience, and is pleased to see the Southland region charging into the future.

“ChargeNet sees Southland as a strategically important part of our nation-wide network, and we were pleased to be able to work with PowerNet to install the charger at a suitable location in Winton.”

“We are excited to see this station go live and are looking forward to opening further stations in the region to ensure Southland electric vehicle drivers are fully supported by our network,” he said.

PowerNet Chief Executive Jason Franklin sees the opening of the fast charger as an important part of their commitment to support renewable energy and a more sustainable Southland.

“We manage significant network assets across Southland and Otago and we envisage some major changes taking place as more people transition from fossil fuel vehicles to electric. Two key elements of growth in electric vehicle uptake in New Zealand are the increase in fleet purchasing and growth in fast-charging infrastructure. PowerNet are supporting both elements.”

The placement of the charging station at the New World makes a lot of sense for Winton electric vehicle owners, says ChargeNet Chief Operating Officer Nick Smith.

“Fast-charging stations are able to charge electric vehicles in 20 to 40 minutes, meaning drivers can park in town and get a coffee or their grocery shopping done and be on their way with a fully charged battery.”

Having fast charging stations in both Winton and Invercargill will reduce ‘range anxiety’ for electric vehicle owners travelling between the two towns. It will also attract visitors to the district who own, or have hired an electric vehicle.

The main reasons given for acquiring an electric vehicle are significant reductions in pollution, fuel costs and carbon emissions. Electric vehicles also have fewer moving parts and the overall upkeep and maintenance of an electric vehicle is considerably less than a conventional vehicle.

ENDS

Further information

About ChargeNet

ChargeNet NZ is the only organisation installing a nationwide network of rapid charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. It is also the largest privately owned and operated DC fast charger network in the Southern Hemisphere.

There are 60 chargers connected to our network nationwide, at 21 December 2017. We aim to have over 105 stations by the end of 2018.

About PowerNet

PowerNet Limited is the electricity network management company delivering power to Invercargill City, Southland, West Otago, parts of Central Otago and Stewart Island.

Based on the regulatory value of the networks it manages, PowerNet is the equivalent of the fifth largest network company in New Zealand, delivering electricity to around 69,200 consumers.

© Scoop Media