NZ Autocar
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Electric
  • Commercial
  • Industry
  • Bikes
  • Classics
  • Motorsport
  • Prices
    • New Car Prices
    • New Bike Prices
  • Subscribe
    • Print
    • Digital
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Advertise
NZ Autocar
No Result
View All Result
Home Electric

ChargeNet NZ to fine people that hog EV chargers

by Matthew Hansen
September 21, 2021
2017 Hyundai Ioniq Electric long term report

One of New Zealand’s biggest plug-in vehicle charger firms, ChargeNet, is set to introduce a ‘fee’ for electric vehicle owners guilty of leaving their cars plugged into their public chargers for too long.

From today, ChargeNet will be handing out fines to those who plug their cars into the public high-powered 175kW DC fast charger at Giltrap Audi in Grey Lynn, Auckland.

When your EV is plugged into a ChargeNet unit, owners can monitor charging progress via an app. ChargeNet can also monitor this progress, meaning it can therefore see whether a car that’s already fully charged has been plugged into a unit for an excessive length of time.

After a five-minute amnesty period — plenty of time for an EV owner to unplug their vehicle and sort themselves out — the firm will charge guilty charging ‘hoggers’ $1.00 per minute. It calls this charge an ‘idle fee’.

“If you’ve recently used the EV chargers at Giltrap Audi in Auckland which are accessible on the ChargeNet network, you may have noticed the sign mentioning idle fees. From Monday, 9 August we’re introducing a fee for idle charging at this site to ensure that more people have a chance to charge,” said the firm in a statement published to social media.

“What this means for drivers is that if your vehicle is not moved within five minutes of the completion of your charge, an idle fee of $1.00 per minute is applied if the vehicle remains connected to the charger for 5 minutes or more after a session has ended.

“Idle fees are new for ChargeNet, but we recognise that this fee will heavily encourage drivers to move on as quickly as possible, thus reducing queueing and creating a better experience for all drivers. We recommend using the ChargeNet app, so you can monitor your session remotely.”

The move appears to have been well received across the board. While ChargeNet hasn’t confirmed whether the move will become standardised across the rest of its charging network, early signs to a wider roll-out being likely. 

Responding to numerous questions about whether other chargers could see similar idle fees, ChargeNet seemingly didn’t rule out the idea. “We don’t have an expected implementation date for this enhancement, but will be sure to keep our customers updated,” it told one person.

Elsewhere though, the firm seemed more concrete. Quizzed on another social media page about whether a wider trial was imminent, it answered; “we’re working on this”.

Share
Previous Post

Gorgeous Lotus Radford throwback revealed with modern twist

Next Post

Mercedes sued for not taking Takata airbag recall seriously

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NZ Autocar is New Zealand’s leading automotive magazine. Delivering news reviews from the automotive world, including commentary from leading automotive writers and covers the scope of motoring including new cars, classic cars, EVs and motorbikes.

Our team

Publisher: Mark Petch
General Manager: Gavin Shaw
Editor: Kyle Cassidy
Senior Editor: Peter Louisson
News Editor: Harrison Wade
Art Director: Alex Schultz
Photographer: Tom Gasnier

To Subscribe

nzautocar.subscription.co.nz

Contact Us

Advertising:
Gavin Shaw
gavin@autocar.co.nz
.
Editorial:
Kyle Cassidy
kyle@autocar.co.nz
.
NZ Autocar
PO Box 44 304
Point Chevalier
Auckland 1246
New Zealand

Categories

  • Bikes
  • Classics
  • Commercial
  • Electric
  • Industry
  • Motorsport
  • News
  • Reviews
  • YouTube

Useful Links

Home
News
Motorsport
New Car Prices
New Bike Prices
Subscriptions
Competitions
Contact Us
Advertising
Terms and Conditions

© 2021 AUTOCAR 2016 LIMITED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Electric
  • Commercial
  • Industry
  • Bikes
  • Classics
  • Motorsport
  • Prices
    • New Car Prices
    • New Bike Prices
  • Subscribe
    • Print
    • Digital
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Advertise

© 2021 AUTOCAR 2016 LIMITED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.