It is a case of third time lucky for the Dunedin EV Owners Group, after an announcement Palmerston will finally get an electric vehicle charging station.
After having been knocked back twice previously, the group’s request for the station was granted this week by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, as part of round seven of its low emission vehicles contestable fund.
Group member Pam McKinlay "did her happy dance" when she learned of the announcement.
The addition of a 50kW DC charger would help electric vehicle users travelling on State Highway 1, particularly from Christchurch south, she said.
The majority of users in the lower South Island were 24kW car owners.
"For vehicles of that nature there was a hole in the network for those of us making those longer journeys.
"That hole was in Palmerston, for people travelling from Christchurch through Oamaru and in through the inland route," Ms McKinlay said.
"It’s building a little bit of contingency into the network as well.
"Electric vehicles can head off into the hills from there.
"That has been a really tight spot for people. We’ve been trying for three years to get a rapid charger in Palmerston."
It was also announced that a dual 22kW AC overnight charger would be installed at an accommodation provider in Oamaru, and a 50kW DC rapid charger in South Dunedin.
St John would buy two electric vehicles to be tested as mobility vehicles for its health shuttle fleet in Southland.
They would be fitted out to make them wheelchair accessible, and four 22kW AC chargers would be installed to charge the vehicles.
