The New Zealand Government has announced a $52.7 million zero-interest loan programme to support the rollout of more than 2,500 new public electric vehicle charge points, as part of efforts to accelerate EV adoption and reduce emissions.
The initiative will be complemented by $60 million in co-investment from ChargeNet and Meridian Energy, bringing combined funding to over $110 million.
The programme will deliver 2,574 new charge points, including 1,374 DC fast chargers and 1,200 AC chargers. Fast chargers will primarily be installed along highways for shorter charging stops of 20 to 60 minutes, while AC chargers will be deployed in locations such as workplaces and residential areas where vehicles are parked for longer periods.
Financing will be administered through National Infrastructure Funding and Financing, with concessionary loans covering up to 50% of project capital costs and offering repayment terms of up to 13 years.
The rollout will be split between urban and regional areas, with about half of the chargers planned for major cities including Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and the remainder distributed across the country.
New Zealand currently has just over 1,800 public charge points, one of the lowest charger-to-EV ratios among OECD countries. With projects underway and the newly announced investment, the total network is expected to grow to around 4,550 chargers. The government has set a target of 10,000 public charge points by 2030.
Simon Watts said the expansion supports emissions reduction goals. Electric vehicles produce “at least 60 per cent fewer lifecycle emissions than petrol vehicles,” he said.
Chris Bishop highlighted infrastructure gaps as a key barrier to EV adoption. “Many New Zealanders have thought about getting an EV, even before the fuel challenges we’re currently facing. But research shows that the lack of public chargers is holding many back from making the switch to an EV,” he said.
He added that the financing model is designed to unlock private investment. “The private sector is reluctant to invest in charging infrastructure until there’s sufficient demand, but demand won’t grow until the lack of public chargers stops putting buyers off,” Bishop said. “Concessionary loans bring forward private investment in public EV charging infrastructure by lowering the cost of capital, while keeping the taxpayer’s contribution to a minimum.”
Watts added that a broader charging network would benefit both consumers and the environment. “A better charging network means more New Zealanders can take advantage of it, and that’s good for household budgets and our emissions profile alike,” he said.