This will bring more business to the Tararua District and ongoing income to Scanpower, who annually look to distribute financial surpluses back to its customers in the form of discounts. Council does not incur any investment cost for the new charging stations and they fit within Council’s District Strategy on climate change.

After considering electricity demand, driver safety, avoiding residential areas, and minimising impact on limited street carparks, an area on Fergusson Street next to the Recreation Ground is currently the preferred site. It is a natural location, given its proximity to State Highway 3 / Te Ahu a Turanga – Manawatū Tararua Highway and State Highway 2.

Our district already has charging stations in Dannevirke, Woodville, Pahiatua and Eketāhuna, along with Mt Bruce. The chargers will be able to charge any compatible EVs or similar if possible.

Scanpower will need to build the plant, including transformer and underground services from State Highway 3.  A new footpath will be included as part of the cost, along with the six superchargers and plant.

Overtime, these chargers will form a critical part of New Zealand’s resilience where, as a country, we are one of the few that can foreseeably achieve 100% renewable energy.  The technology of EV’s continues to evolve with new battery technology, alternative materials and a range of vehicles coming, with prices of electric vehicles starting to drop and charging times set to halve from that currently needed.