The charging stations, installed in partnership with Wellington City Council and Wellington Electricity, are able to fully charge an electric car in roughly half the time it would take to charge from a household outlet.
Separate electric bike charging stations are able to fully charge the average e-bike from dead flat in around three hours
“More and more modern vehicles, both bikes and cars, are electric. This low carbon initiative will encourage even more visitors to arrive in an eco-friendly way,” says Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown.
The charging stations in Zealandia are to be followed by solar photovoltaic panels on the roof of the sanctuary visitor centre, enabling the power consumed in car charging to be offset by self-generated, 100% renewable electricity, and further reducing the carbon footprint of Zealandia and its visitors.
"We're proud to be part of what makes Wellington such a great place to live and to provide facilities that help our collective future as well as our community," said Zealandia CEO Paul Atkins.
Councillor Foster added that: “It is the first of several chargers to be installed around the city in coming months. We are working with commercial partners to help make this happen.”
“We want to see more electric vehicles on the road, and ensuring motorists know they can always find a place to ‘fill up’ is important, which is why Council is working to see more charging stations installed.”