Easy charging breaks the long distance barrier
A growing network of fast chargers is taking electric vehicles long distance.
People are getting to know electric cars (EVs) as economical runabouts, perfect for the average daily commute. Owners can easily zip through 100 kilometres and recharge at home overnight, when cheaper electricity rates mean costs are equivalent to about 30c a litre. Their long distance potential is less well known. In a recent survey about perceptions of EVs by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), 37% of New Zealanders said EVs’ unsuitability for long distance driving put them off buying one. But public charging stations popping up across the country mean even EVs with smaller batteries can get from Bluff to Cape Reinga – as Sean Dick did recently as part of an annual road trip to raise public awareness about EVs on behalf of the Better New Zealand Trust. “We planned for around 180km a day,” says Dick. “That’s no problem for a Tesla with a range of 350km but we had vehicles with lower ranges too. The Generation 2 Leaf and Hyundai Ioniq can do 200km on a charge but the Generation 1 Nissan Leaf has a comfortable range of 120km.” The solution was planning a route with a public charger at regular intervals. This has become much easier in the year since the last road trip, he says. “New fast chargers opened in Kerikeri, Kaitaia, Wairoa and Gore, just in the month we were travelling,” he says. “With a little bit of thought, you can easily get to most places in New Zealand.” The New Zealand Transport Agency’s vision for a fast charging station every 75km across our state highways – a total of 173 stations by the end of this year – is on track. The work is being pushed along by private companies such as ChargeNet. The company originally aimed to roll out a new fast charger every fortnight – this has accelerated in recent months. “March was a record month with 10 new fast chargers installed,” says Steve West, ChargeNet CEO. “Our target is to have well over 100 chargers on our network by the end of this year – we have already installed more than 70, all capable of recharging a typical EV in 10-30 minutes.” Many of these, and other infrastructure projects are supported by the Government’s Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund, administered by EECA. It’s cofunding more than 20 projects that will add hundreds of public charging stations to the network. Among them will be so-called ‘slow’ or ‘destination’ chargers, designed to top up the battery while you go and do something else such as shopping, watch a movie or visit a museum. Most are currently provided free of charge by businesses or facilities wanting to provide an incentive for EV owners to visit. “You can pick up the equivalent of half a tank – for free – just by doing what you were going to do anyway,” says Dick. Drivers can download apps to locate chargers or plan their long-distance routes – find out more from PlugShare, ChargeNet and Vector websites. “It takes me a couple of minutes to plan where to charge when I’m going long distance. Or if I’ve been there before, I just do it in my head,” he says. “It’s a change of mindset. I actually like the idea that I can drive for three hours, then stop to charge up and have lunch, or just explore a new town.” His list of recent discoveries includes a number of excellent bread shops, a small vineyard in Alexandra, a cheese factory in Oamaru and a café that does a great deal on breakfast and coffee in Waimate. “And really, if I get off the beaten track, what’s the worst that can happen? I have to stop in a small town and plug in at a motel overnight. That wouldn’t be too bad – but it hasn’t happened yet.”