NZ's public EV charging to increase by 25%

New Zealand’s EV drivers will have more options than ever to recharge on the go, with 341 high-speed public DC charge points approved for Government co-funding throughout the country’s urban areas.

The charge points, across 168 charging units and 9 charge point operators, will be co-funded through the Public EV Charging – Urban Infill funding round.

The new chargers boost the current public network’s high-speed DC capacity by about 25 percent. New Zealand had 1249 public charge points and 1178 public charging units, as of September 2024.

A total of $15 million in co-funding was approved for the projects in this round, subject to all contracts being signed. This unlocked almost $37 million in private investment.

The co-funded charging units are planned for sites across Auckland, Wellington, Waikato, Canterbury, Otago, Hawke’s Bay and Bay of Plenty regions, as well as Nelson, Whangarei, Taupō, New Plymouth and Gisborne.

Projects are expected to be completed by February 2026.