EV Chargers

Large uptake of electric vehicles (EV) in New Zealand means a lot of extra load on local electricity networks. This needs to be managed effectively to minimise infrastructure upgrade costs for customers. We see a future where customers set up their vehicles to charge with smart charging technology that targets pricing incentives to save customers’ money while also reducing network upgrade costs.

There are two types of EV chargers; AC and DC. AC chargers are usually low-powered, domestic residential units while DC chargers are high-powered commercial units. Your EV can be charged either on a public charger or a home charger. You can charge your EV from the normal 3-pin plug, but it is advisable to have an EV charger. Not all EVs offer 3-phase charging.

Recommended EV Chargers

EECA (Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority) NZ have published a list of smart EV chargers recommended for residential and commercial use. The approved list has been developed to help New Zealanders identify, and purchase, smart and efficient EV chargers. The new, internationally proven technology benefits both the user and the national electricity grid. To be included on the approved list, chargers need to be efficient and capable of two-way communication (smart), based on their technical specification. See the list here.

Electric Vehicle Charger for Business Fleet Vehicle

More and more Southland businesses are converting their fleet vehicles to electric. Electric vehicle (EV) chargers on the premise would mean that the electric fleet vehicle would have the luxury of charging up on site. Most modern EV chargers have smart energy management software that allows charge to be distributed evenly across fleets without the need for major electrical capacity upgrades.

If you would like to discuss some opportunities we have to offer or to discuss your EV energy requirement needs, please email enquiries@powernet.co.nz

Public EV Chargers

There are now numerous EV fast chargers that have been rolled out across the Southern region.

You can view the location and status of those EV fast chargers below:

Electric Vehicle to Grid (V2G)

EVs are essentially batteries on wheels and for vehicles that are V2G capable, customers may use them to manage their energy costs by charging and later exporting energy to the network/grid at times that target incentives in their electricity pricing.

A V2G charging system includes an inverter to direct energy stored in the electric vehicle battery back to the network/grid and when it does this, it essentially behaves as a generator. We therefore treat V2G connections as distributed generation that is required to meet the same inverter-based generation standards as solar or battery installations. V2G connections can be applied for using PowerNet’s Distributed Generation Application Form and indicating the inverter type as V2G on the form.