By Sandy Hodge, External Relations Manager, Vector
With the launch of Vector’s first EV rapid charging station in Auckland last week, EV drivers can heave a sigh of relief. Now visitors to the city can be assured that they can fully charge up in under half an hour.
The installation of the rapid chargers is part of a plan to have 35 chargers installed around Auckland over the next 12 months – a mixture of rapid and standard chargers.
Vector has two standard chargers installed at its Newmarket HQ and has recently added to its footprint with standard chargers installed in the Britomart car park and the NorthWest shopping centre.
It is the latest step in the evolution of EVs – helping to overcome consumer hesitation about their practicality when batteries typically give them a much smaller range than petrol-driven cars. However, networks of charging stations plus the head-turning looks of the BMW i8 ($280,000) and the Tesla (imports have been landed here for about $180,000) are helping end previous perceptions of EVs, says Vector Group Chief Executive Simon Mackenzie – as are growing business fleets of EVs, like Vector’s pool cars.
“Electricity supply is at the heart of our business, so we are ideally positioned to bring to life a network of charging stations in Auckland,” he says. “The information we get from these stations and the two stations we have installed in our staff car park to recharge our pool car EVs, are providing us with valuable insights into the use of the technology and how it can be deployed across Auckland.”
