Council and Hikotron powering EVs in the district

Waipa¯ District Council has partnered with Hikotron Limited to install eight new electric vehicle (EV) charge points across the district, with the first coming to Cambridge in March.

Council has entered a five-year trial agreement with the Waikato company to help create infrastructure that supports the growing number of electric vehicles in Waipa¯ .

Council’s transportation manager Bryan Hudson said increased EV support is part of its commitment to reduce the environmental impact of the district’s transport systems.

“Hikotron will install four EV chargers across the Waipa¯, converting eight parking spaces into user-pays charge points,” said Bryan.

The first chargers will be installed in the Duke St carpark beside Cambridge’s New World supermarket from Thursday, March 3. Waipa¯ Networks will be connecting the power supply and expects to complete this in five working days.

Another two chargers will be installed in the Te Awamutu Event Centre carpark on Mahoe St in April.

Bryan said the locations were chosen due to their proximity to electricity supply and location near the town centres – close enough for drivers to access facilities while charging but not taking up prime parking spaces.

“These locations have been picked because they have good lighting for night and day use and are in areas with low traffic numbers and lower speeds, so our visitors can charge their vehicles and get in and out safely.”

The new EV chargers will use alternating current (AC) rather than direct current (DC) and take longer to charge than the existing EV chargers on Queen St in Cambridge and Scout Lane in Te Awamutu. Hudson recommended users make the most of the additional time to shop local.

“These new AC chargers are aimed at local electric vehicle users who may wish to charge up while they are in town, rather than visitors passing through who typically seek to charge up quickly and continue their journey.

“Charging takes place while the vehicle is parked, giving people more time to shop, eat out, visit friends, attend appointments or meetings, go for a walk, use local facilities and explore Waipa¯,” added Bryan.

EV drivers can download the Hikotron mobile app from Google Play or Apple Store.

They use the app to scan the QR code on the charger, plug in their vehicle, and then tap on ‘Start charge’.

The cable is locked in until the user taps on ‘End charge’. This stops the cable being unplugged while the driver is away.

The Hikotron app also enables users to locate an available charger nearby, monitor how much power is being drawn while charging, and make payments.

The app works for all chargers across the growing Hikotron public network.

The new chargers will be marked and signposted in line with the new national guidelines for electric vehicle charging released in 2021.

For more information visit www.hikotron.com