Aucklanders now have to pay to use these once-free EV chargers

Several free electric vehicle (EV) charging stations located across Auckland have been acquired by ChargeNet, meaning customers will now have to pay to use them.

Eight sites once owned by Vector will fall under the control of ChargeNet on 19 February 2024, with half of those being DC and the other AC.

The change in ownership also means users will need to sign up for a ChargeNet account via the firm’s website or smartphone app to initiate charging sessions if they haven’t already.

The list of affected charging stations is as follows:

• Constellation Drive McDonalds, 14-16 Constellation Drive, Rosedale – DC – $0.80/kWh
• Greenlane McDonalds, 320/356 Great South Road, Greenlane – DC – $0.80/kWh
• Hobson Street Substation, 13 Hobson Street – DC – $0.80/kWh
• Newmarket Substation, 1 Seccombes Road – DC – $0.80/kWh
• Auckland Hospital, 2 Park Road, Grafton – AC – $0.40/kWh
• Aryeh (Piha Cafe), 20 Seaview Road, Piha – AC – $0.40/kWh
• MOTAT, Stadium Road, Western Springs – AC – $0.40/kWh
• Vodafone Events Centre, 770 Great South Road, Wiri – AC – $0.40/kWh

Vector had originally installed the chargers as part of a trial in 2015, some nine years ago now, to gain insights into their use. Since then, New Zealand’s EV fleet has expanded significantly with over 60,000 units hitting the road last year alone, and Vector felt that it was the right time to transfer the chargers to the country’s largest charging network.

“We believe many of the current Vector charging users will already be ChargeNet customers, so it will be an easy switch,” says ChargeNet CEO Danusia Wypych.

“Our experience is that EV drivers are savvy when it comes to getting the most out of their charging, so some will also have ChargeNet accounts linked to their electricity provider through our partnerships with Genesis Energy, Electric Kiwi and Octopus Energy, which provide flexibility across New Zealand.

“Ultimately, this move will allow us to make investments and improvements at popular sites, which benefits all EV drivers.”