Moving you and your electricity

The ability to monitor and manage EV charging is a fundamental part of Wellington Electricity's Distribution System Operator development plan and will be essential for responding to this emerging technology.

To proactively build knowledge on how EV charging might impact the network, we developed an EV tariff encouraging owners to charge EVs overnight (9pm to 7am) at a reduced rate, with the aim of moving demand away from peak periods.

This is also now reflective in our Time of Use pricing:

Where to next?

EV Uptake

We're researching who is adopting EVs, how they use them, and establishing a baseline to guide and forecast future asset investment planning.

Charging Stations

We'll be working with industry and councils to identify suitable locations for charging infrastructure. This also means identifying the type of infrastructure such as bus chargers or smaller vehicle chargers. As the fleet of EVs evolve, we will also undertake research and pilot EV charging for freight and commercial vehicles.

Network Capacity

We'll continue to allow for network reinforcement to address potential impact from a higher EV adoption rate at locations where we anticipate capacity issues. This goes hand-in-hand with our research and support of distributed generation as an alternative to further network investment.

EV Industry

EV manufacturers are important partners in developing sustainable business models that are cost-effective. We'll be assessing possible joint venture or partnership opportunities with EV distributors to better understand how the two industries can work together for the benefit of the electricity network and customers.

Tariff Plans

We'll continue current tariff and network studies to forecast EV impact. These studies also consider opportunities for EVs to power customer homes or Vehicle to Grid supplies. The pilot project with a local partner for user pattern analysis will be vital in developing the knowledge base and understanding of remote control options on charging capacity.

EV Connect

The EV Connect project investigated how more energy could be delivered through the existing electricity network. Specifically, it has developed the steps needed for the network to work with consumers who have smart devices that can be used to shift demand to less congested periods.

Find out more about EV Connect here.

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Electric vehicles (EVs)