End of freebie EV top-ups as Vector sells its 12 charging stations to ChargeNet

The free ride ends February 19.

Vector’s 12 EV charging stations - at eight locations around Auckland - have been a popular way for electric vehicle owners to score a free top-up.

But now the lines company has sold them to ChargeNet, and punters will have to pay from February 19.

ChargeNet says the upside will be “fair utilisation” - that is, EV owners won’t hog the chargers for free parking as idle-time fees are introduced - and future upgrades to faster chargers.

No price was put on the deal, with commercial confidentiality cited.

Although a relatively minor one, it’s another knock for EV owners. Sales of electric vehicles plunged in January as a carrot disappeared (the Clean Car Discount was axed on December 31) and a stick appeared on the horizon (road-user chargers of around $1000 per year for EV owners from April 1).

The Vector charging points are at:

• McDonalds, Constellation Drive ($0.80c/kWh)
• Aryeh (Piha Café), Piha ($0.80c/kWh)
• Hobson St Substation ($0.80c/kWh)
• Newmarket Substation ($0.80c/kWh)
• Vodafone Events Centre, Wiri ($0.40/kWh)
• Motat, Western Springs ($0.40/kWh)
• Auckland Hospital, Grafton ($0.40/kWh)
• McDonalds, Greenlane ($0.40/kWh)

The 80c tariff is for 50kW stations, which offer a faster top-up; the 40c tariff for slower 25kW chargers. ChargeNet also has partnerships with a number of electricity provides that can lower the cost. For example, Genesis customers can access its public chargers at their home electricity rate. The power company said that worked out to about $3 per 100km - or the equivalent of paying about 30 cents per litre for petrol - compared to a public fast charger at around $10 per 100km (actual costs vary by region and charger, and the age and model of your EV).

ChargeNet 50W charge for 19 minutes while in the supermarket boosted my Polestar 2’s battery from 53% to 74% (or from 210km to 280km in range terms) pic.twitter.com/oOhwJ2Iwl0

— Chris Keall (@ChrisKeall) July 23, 2022

The 12 Vector stations will be integrated into ChargeNet’s nationwide network of over 300 rapid DC charge points, some of them subsidised by the Government via EECA. The privately held firm says it’s part of a broader plan to double its number of charging points over the next two years. The firm expects two million charging sessions over the next year.

“We started deploying EV chargers as a trial around Auckland in 2015, with the support of our majority owner Entrust, and we appreciate their forward thinking and commitment to customer solutions,” Vector chief executive Simon Mackenzie said.”

“We’re now pleased to be establishing an ongoing relationship with ChargeNet to continue developing our understanding of the energy needs of EVs and customer charging behaviour.”

In 2015, there were only a handful of electric vehicles on the road. Now, there are around 85,000.

The nine Tesla superchargers at Kokomea Village Centre in Taupō.

Taupō gets NZ’s largest EV charging station

Meanwhile, Taupō's Kokomea Village Centre says it’s now home to what it’s billing as New Zealand’s largest fast-charging EV station - equipped with nine Tesla Superchargers

Project director James Kermode says it will provide EV drivers with “a critical trip junction in the central North Island”.

Late last year, Tesla opened up its supercharger network to non-Tesla owners in NZ - although they have to pay more.

Rates vary, but when the Herald checked in on the Tesla app, it was charging $0.83c for Tesla owners and $0.99 for non-Tesla owners at one location.

Non-Tesla owners who buy a Supercharging Membership for $10.99 per month can access Tesla owners’ rates.

Chris Keall is an Auckland-based member of the Herald’s business team. He joined the Herald in 2018 and is the technology editor and a senior business writer.