Charge of the electric car brigade advances on Marlborough
Hold onto your (driver's) seats, charging stations for electric cars might finally be coming to Marlborough.
ChargeNet NZ wants to expand its nationwide network of car chargers into Marlborough, with plans for charging stations in Blenheim, Spring Creek and Havelock.
ChargeNet communications manager Shawn Moodie said charging stations were typically located near shopping centres or supermarkets for ease of access.
That's why they had earmarked Pak 'n Save, in Blenheim, the Spring Creek Four Square and the Havelock Four Square as possible sites.
An electric car charging station in Hawera, in south Taranaki.
Pak 'n Save owner operator Mark Elkington said electric vehicles were the "way of the future" and he wanted to be a part of that.
Elkington said the charging station would run parallel to State Highway 6, in the corner of the car park and should be able to serve two vehicles at a time.
Moodie said it took about 20 minutes to charge an electric vehicle and the average price to 'fill' it was about $12.
A fully charged car could travel a distance of about 400 kilometres, Moodie said.
Public stations were ideal for when drivers needed a quick charge in a hurry.
"Maybe you're doing a trip for work or you have somewhere you need to be. You come to us when you want the convenience of a rapid charge."
Moodie said Marlborough Lines was in charge of connecting the charging stations in the region.
A Marlborough Lines spokesperson said it was "inappropriate" to make a comment on when the charging stations would go live until something official had been decided.
"What I can tell you at the moment is that Marlborough Lines contracting have been asked to put together a design and a price and that's what we are doing at the moment."
As of last month, there were 216 electric vehicles registered in Nelson/Marlborough, according to data from the Ministry of Transport.
Moodie warned against using charging stations for mobility scooters.