Co-funding from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) through the Low Emissions Transport Fund (LETF) will enable Z Energy (Z) to take a significant step forward in the scaling up of its EV charging network by supporting EV charging capability at seven Z sites.
“The scaling up of Z’s EV charging network through a strategic funding partnership with EECA is a key step in our low-carbon future strategy as we transition out of fossil fuels and support our customers wherever they are in their sustainability journey,” says Nicolas Williams, GM Strategy & Risk.
With an already well-established retail network of 197 service stations and 150 truck stops conveniently located on major travel corridors across New Zealand, as well as fantastic onsite amenities including increased safety and security when charging, Z is well placed to scale up its EV charging offering to bolster New Zealand’s EV charging network.
“The Z of 2030 and 2050 needs to look very different to today. Increasing our EV charging network is a key example of how we are actively choosing to invest in low-carbon revenue streams that are better for the planet and deliver a sustainable, viable future for our business. It is the right thing to do for our customers and for Z,” continues Nicolas.
“We are extremely pleased to have received co-funding from EECA for seven of our sites, which will support the installation of 26 new charging bays. The co-funding partnership is a key enabler for us to take the first step by growing a more complete EV network for customers travelling between the ‘Golden Triangle’ of Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga.”
Z’s goal is to make it as easy as possible for people to charge on the go as it is to fuel up today and is committed to continuing to strategically partner with Government and private sector businesses to deliver this in a way that also helps to meet New Zealand’s ambitious emissions reduction targets and associated plans.
“We are also exploring key industry partnerships that will allow us to quickly establish scale and efficiently aggregate different parties who have a role to play in EV charging. We have recently signed a Heads of Agreement with Counties Energy, the owners of the OpenLoop EV Charging platform, to identify opportunities for co-development, and ECL Group as the delivery partner for the charging network,” says Nicolas.
As a fuel retailer not tied to an upstream oil exploration company Z has always focused on providing the right energy for the right use case and drive solutions that our customers want.
Z believes electrons, hydrogen and biofuels will all play a role in the transition out of fossil fuels and plans to continue to expand its EV charging network as it looks to grow strategic partnerships with others in the industry. Further details of its low-carbon future strategy will be announced in the coming months.
*Note to editors: The number of bays signifies the number of cars that can be charged at any one time. At the Z Rolleston site for example, there will be two single chargers and one double charger so 4 charging bays.
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