Kohatu, Haast, Hari Hari, St Arnaud, and Springs Junction will receive DC fast charges thanks to a partnership between Meridian Energy and the Government’s Low Emissions Transport Fund.

Minister for Energy and Resources Dr. Megan Woods said the new charges will close key haps in the South Island’s public EV charging network.

“This round of co-funding was strategically targeted at a few specific locations, to ensure there is good charging coverage in the South Island,” Woods said.

Woods said the locations represent some of the most challenging sites in New Zealand to install electric vehicle chargers, with electricity grid constraints and lower traffic volumes.

Chargers at these locations will largely complete the government’s goal to provide fast chargers to the public at 75km intervals along state highways.

The charger installations are expected to be available from May 2023. The LETF is contributing $1,065,914 in co-funding alongside $756,782 in private investment from Meridian.

Meridian Energy will install 10 chargers as part of its nationwide charger rollout:
Kohatu – two 50kW DC fast chargers in Kohatu, filling a network gap between Murchison and Nelson.

Haast – two 50kW DC fast chargers in Haast, filling a network gap between Wanaka and Franz Joseph.

Hari Hari – two 50kW DC fast chargers in Hari Hari, filling a gap between Fox Glacier and Westport.

St Arnaud – two 25kW DC chargers in St Arnaud, facilitating electric vehicle traffic to Lake Rotoiti and Blenheim.

Springs Junction – two 50kW DC fast chargers which will be supported by three 120kWh BESS (battery energy storage system) units in Springs Junction west of Lewis Pass, eliminating a key charging infrastructure blackspot.