New Zealand entrepreneur to build country’s first fast-charging network

Founder and managing director of %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal Charge.net.nz Visit http://charge.net.nz/ false http://charge.net.nz/ false false%>, Steve West, aims to build New Zealand’s first electric vehicle (EV) charging network. He claims to have identified 75 sites across the country and plans to have fast chargers installed on all of them by the end of 2017.

EV charger manufacturer, Brisbane-based 7335 Tritium, has shipped the first instalment of a major order placed by the company; 23 Veefil 50 kW DC fast chargers, which support both CHAdeMO & SAE-Combo standards, will form the first phase of the three-year project and will be deployed in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch. The first unit is expected to be deployed in Auckland in June 2015.

According to West, “EVs are perfect for New Zealand; our electricity generation is 80 per cent renewable and fossil fuels are expensive to export to a relatively isolated Pacific island nation.  New Zealand currently has only around 250 pure EVs, but second-hand vehicles, particularly from Japan, are becoming available at a very reasonable price and as we roll out the fast-charging network, I anticipate we will see a rapid uptake in the country.”

Tritium’s commercial director, Paul Sernia comments, “Steve West is a true evangelist for the benefits of EVs.  He’s an enthusiastic EV owner and driver himself and has a real vision of the benefits this fast-charging network could bring to New Zealand.”