EV Chargers in NZ: Public Charger Rollout, Two-Way Charging Trials and Charging From Solar

Updated 3 November 2026. Charging is the number one question people ask about electric vehicles. Here is what is changing in New Zealand, from public chargers to the chargers in your own garage.

More public chargers on the way

The Government has a target of 10,000 public charge points by 2030, roughly one for every 40 EVs. A first round of zero-interest (concessionary) loans, announced in March 2026, will deliver 2,574 new charge points through ChargeNet and Meridian Energy. In August 2026 a second round of about $21 million was opened to charge point operators (Government announcement, 8 August 2026). The Government has also said it is developing minimum standards for EV chargers, so home chargers can automatically charge overnight when power is cheapest.

Most charging happens at home

EECA research shows home charging is the main way New Zealanders charge their EVs. A dedicated wall charger is the safest and most convenient option:

• A standard 3-pin plug gives about 2.3 kW, which is slow and puts hours of heavy load on a socket not designed for it.

• A single-phase wall charger gives up to about 7 kW, roughly three times faster.

• Three-phase chargers (up to 22 kW) suit farms and businesses, depending on the vehicle.

Two-way charging: your car as a home battery

In September 2026 EECA and OpenLoop (Counties Energy) announced New Zealand's largest trial of two-way chargers, with up to 100 to be installed in homes, fleets and depots. Two-way (vehicle-to-home or vehicle-to-grid) charging lets a car charge when power is cheap and send energy back to the house at peak times or during a power cut. EECA says a large EV battery could run a household for three to four days. A smaller trial is already running in Queenstown.

It is still early days. EECA notes only a few car and charger combinations support two-way charging here, and standards are still being developed. If you are installing a charger now, it is worth planning the cabling so an upgrade later is easy.

Solar plus EV: the best combination

As EECA put it in the trial announcement, households with solar can charge their EV for free during the day and use stored energy later. Many smart chargers can be set to use only surplus solar, so your car soaks up power you would otherwise export for a few cents.

Wild Ox Energy now installs EV chargers for homes, farms and businesses across Canterbury, with registered electricians and a Certificate of Compliance on every job. See our EV charger installation page or get a free quote.

Sources

• Government announcement (Ministers Bishop and Brown), "Zero-interest loans accelerate EV charger rollout", 8 August 2026

• EVs and Beyond, "Up to 100 two-way EV chargers for NZ's largest V2G trial", 29 September 2026

• RNZ, "EVs being trialled as giant batteries to power homes for less in Auckland", 29 September 2026

General information only. Charging speeds depend on your vehicle, switchboard and supply.