The government will provide interest-free loans totalling $52.7 million to two companies to accelerate the roll-out of public electric vehicle chargers across New Zealand. ChargeNet and Meridian Energy will use the funding as part of a combined $60 million capital investment expected to deliver 2,574 new public charge points, including 1,374 DC fast chargers and 1,200 AC chargers.
If the planned deployment proceeds as outlined, the nation’s public charging network would grow from roughly 1,800 existing charge points to about 4,550, more than doubling current capacity. That expansion aims to address one of the barriers to EV uptake flagged by buyers and industry groups, namely the perceived scarcity of convenient public charging, particularly outside main centres.
How the loan programme works and why ministers backed it
The package offers zero-interest finance rather than direct grants. Transport Minister Chris Bishop framed the approach as a way to limit the Crown’s net contribution while leveraging private capital. He noted the average loan amount works out to about $20,000 per charge point, and that after expected repayments the net cost to taxpayers would be closer to $10,000 per charger, which he described as a fraction of what a direct subsidy would require.
Ministers emphasised that the financing is intended to resolve a market impasse: private providers have been cautious to invest in extensive charging networks while EV ownership remains relatively low, but potential EV buyers are reluctant to switch while public charging options remain limited. The loans come with conditions, including requirements for a mix of urban and regional sites, although the precise locations will be decided by the recipient companies on commercial grounds.
Officials said roughly half of the new chargers will be placed in and around major population centres such as Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, the Wellington region, Christchurch, and Dunedin, with the remainder distributed across the regions. The ministers also announced regulatory changes to simplify rolling out chargers, making installation a permitted activity under the Resource Management Act in most cases, which should reduce consenting delays.
