New Zealand's First Free Public Charging Point Installed

By Gavin Shoebridge

Gavin Shoebridge

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New Zealand's First Free Public Charging Point Installed
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439 views Mar 29, 2011

The price of New Zealand's gasoline has now reached $6.12 per gallon, with more increases expected over the coming months due to the double-dip recession currently gripping the country.

This, coupled with more than 4 million vehicles registered on the roads, means a gradual transition to all-electric transport would have significant issues to overcome. Perhaps the most obvious is the lack of public charging points.

With 74 percent of New Zealand's electricity coming from renewable resources, such as geothermal and hydro generation--and with more wind farms and hydro dams currently under construction in both the North and South Islands--the move to all-electric transport makes sense from an environmental perspective.

The capital city of Wellington has taken the bold step of installing the nation's first free, public charging point for electric cars. Ironically, the country's first public charging point is run by Greenstone Energy, who are effectively Shell Petroleum in New Zealand.

"We are giving a lot of thought to how we're going to contribute to a sustainable future for New Zealand," said Greenstone's chief executive Mike Bennetts. "We saw the installation of this charging post as an opportunity to demonstrate a new technology that we are likely to see more of in the future".

While there are only a handful of electric cars in Wellington, the yearly cost of ownership is around 60 percent less than the average family car. With the recent removal of Road User Charges (road tax) for electric vehicles, it seems inevitable that a tide of electric vehicles will appear on New Zealand's streets over time.

Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown is keen to see more electric car charging points in Wellington, working with the local City Council to include $50,000 for a project to develop a zero-emission vehicle program in the city's 2010-11 annual plan.

With the all-electric Mitsubishi 'i' and Nissan LEAF going on sale in New Zealand next year, there will soon be a flood of electric vehicles to consume New Zealand's clean & green, and locally produced energy.

One thing is certain: More public charging points will be needed for those who cannot charge at home, those who are just passing through the city, or those who are still anxious about running out of electricity between charges.

The largest question also remains unanswered: Just how much will  these new electric vehicles will cost the New Zealand car buyer?

Both Nissan and Mitsubishi are tight-lipped, although speculation is that “Kiwis” should expect to pay somewhere in the ballpark of $45,000 NZD ($33,400 USD) for either the MiEV or LEAF next year.