Roadtripper’s guide to EV charging stations

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So, you’re thinking about buying an electric vehicle (EV), or you already own one.  Nice.  We thought it’d be useful to give you a bit of a guide about where to charge it.

Sure, most EV drivers will find charging at home or in a carpark at work can be convenient, but there comes that time where you want to literally go the distance.  New Zealand is such a uniquely drivable country, getting out and exploring the open roads is always going to go down better when you know the deal with your EV when it comes to charging – less worry!

Vs characteristically have fewer parts that are liable to fail, but it’s still important to take note of the decreased driving range available.  Also, bear in mind that in some hotter temperatures, you can lose even more range.  Stay conscious of those bright blue summer skies and how they can affect your batter.  

That all said, you should be fine, and we’re talking very minor increments here compared to other overseas climates.

If you have access to your own source of free power, awesome, more power to you. 

If you need to rely on public chargers, make sure you plan ahead.  Fortunately for you, there’s a fairly dense EV charging network available in New Zealand, a list of which you can find here.  The New Zealand Transport Agency also provides a useful EV charging station map you can refer to.  

You can often find charging stations close to places like campsites, caravan parks, New Zealand’s iSite network, holiday parks, resorts, etc, and there are often charging facilities around New Zealand’s many national parks.

Charging times for electric cars vary, so it pays to make sure you look up info about how long you might need to stop.  If you find a public place where there’s a rapid charger, you’ll be back up and away quicksmart.  Do some research ahead of time about the cost per kWh, amps and your adaptor requirements.

Which leads us to what you need to remember to pack.

Ensure you have your own charging connectors with you.  While some charging stations will carry them, it’s best to pack your own set just in case.  Extreme wear and tear on EV charger cables can sometimes comprise your charge time.