Methven gets fast-charger EV station
First published in Ashubrton Guardian by Susan Sandys on 2 April 2019
Matt Harris (left) and Shaneel Singh of EA Networks switch on the new Methven fast-charger station yesterday.
One of Mid Canterbury’s greatest electric vehicle (EV) enthusiasts was the first to charge at Methven’s new fast-charger station as it opened this week.
Matt Harris is solutions architect at EA Networks in Ashburton, as well as Mid Canterbury Champion for the Better NZ Trust which has its annual electric vehicle road trip coming through Methven tomorrow.
Harris and colleague, engineering services manager Shaneel Singh, visited the newly installed station on Thursday to switch it on.
The station is located behind the Mt Hutt Memorial Hall Methven, opposite The Blue Pub.
It will now be available 24/7, alongside EA Networks’ other stations at Rakaia, Ashburton and EA Networks headquarters.
Harris bought his Nissan Leaf two years ago for $11,000, and said it was working out perfectly as his family’s second car.
With a 15-kilometre journey from his home at Lake Hood into work each day in Ashburton, the car was perfect, and its range was also suitable for a trip to Christchurch.
“It completely makes sense from an environmental and financial point of view,” Harris said.
And with modern electric vehicles having ranges up to 600 kilometres, and fast-charger stations requiring an average 25 minutes of charge time, it was making sense for more and more people to switch to electric.
Harris was looking forward to the Better NZ Trust road trip stopping at the new Methven station at 3pm tomorrow.
A variety of electric vehicles would be represented, including luxury Teslas. Car owners were hoping members of the public would turn out to find out all about driving electric, and take the opportunity of going for a test drive.
Singh said the new station would help attract people to town and assist in opening up the nearby scenic highway to electric vehicle drivers.
“Electric is the next revolution in the transportation sector,” Singh said.
- Article and photo By Susan Sandys
Also:
