Z Energy to increase EV charger rates this month
The increase will take effect from 24 June 2025, and will apply for both fast and ultra-fast chargers across the Z network. The company says the price hike reflects higher wholesale electricity costs, along with rising transmission and distribution charges.
Meantime, the New Zealand Herald reports today that lake levels in the North Island are high after all the rain. Those in the South Island are at 91 per cent. That indicates that repeats of last year's winter power price spikes are unlikely. That's especially with more geothermal energy production on line, and substantial reserves of coal available. Gas reserves, however, are down by 27 per cent compared with last year.
Z isn't the only EV charging operator raising prices. Many have announced price increases in 2025, including ChargeNet and Meridian's Zero network. They cite similar cost pressures tied to energy market volatility and infrastructure upgrades.
According to Z, the typical EV driver who takes on around 22kWh per charging session can expect to pay $2 more per visit.
Home charging remains the most cost-effective option for many EV owners. But fast/ultra-fast public charging continues to play a vital role in supporting longer journeys. It is also essential for urban users who don't have a home charging alternative.
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The Spinoff
06-08-2025
- The Spinoff
How to charge an EV at home or on the road
Charging an EV is easy, but for many new users it won't be as familiar as pumping petrol. So how does it all work? Like any new technology, EVs come with their own learning curves, and charging is chief among them. Prospective owners may find themselves asking questions like: Will I need a special charging port? Will charging on the road take hours? How much will it cost? Will my power bill go through the roof? Better NZ Trust aims to educate the public on EVs and promote their uptake. Chairperson and longtime EV enthusiast Kathryn Trounson spoke to Naomii Seah to answer some of the most common EV charging questions. Will my power bill skyrocket? Running an EV will result in a higher power bill, but the increase may not be as dramatic as you expect. And this cost will also be offset by savings at the pump. 'You will see an upturn in your power bill, but you're not going out and buying petrol. If it costs you 80 dollars to fill up, well you'd get a lot of mileage out of 80 bucks of electricity,' Trounson says. 'Filling up' an EV at home costs the equivalent of $1.60 per litre during off-peak hours. By comparison, the average price of Unleaded 91 is currently sitting around $2.50 per litre. What are 'off-peak' hours? Off-peak hours are times when electricity demand is low, like overnight when most people are sleeping. Time of use power plans, which adjust the cost of electricity based on the time of day, can be particularly good for EV drivers. Genesis has a plan specifically for EV owners that offers time-of-use benefits. With Genesis's EV plan, you save 50% on variable electricity rates from 9pm to 7am every day.* So how do EV drivers charge at home? 'We've been charging our cars in the garage for 10 years, and we just use the standard three-pin plug,' says Trounson. Three-pin domestic chargers are usually included when you buy an EV and don't require any fancy equipment, just a standard household socket. An electrician can install an outside power point if you don't already have one, as extension cords should never be used to charge an EV. How long does charging take? Most EV owners charge overnight, says Trounson. While you probably won't get to 100 percent (nor would you want to, for battery health reasons) an overnight charge is usually more than enough, as most people drive less than 30km a day. For those who use their car often, a faster at-home option is a wall-mounted charging unit. These charge at around twice the rate of a standard plug, so are a good option if you can only charge for a few hours between uses. Some wall-mounted chargers have smart features. They can be programmed to charge at off-peak times, set to stop at a specific charging level and connect to your phone. It's a good idea to consult an electrician on this though as it may require work on your wiring. Where can I charge on the road? 'We have 1,400 or so charging places up and down the country. Their speed varies… for some of the higher spec cars, you might only sit charging for 10 minutes,' Trounson says. Public chargers are available at malls, gyms and supermarkets and at least every 75km on most of our state highways. In addition to fast-chargers, some public stations offer a slower, cheaper (sometimes free) charge, but you might need to bring your own cable. Fast chargers vary in speed. Slower ones can add 50km to your car's battery in under half an hour. Faster ones can add 400km in under 15 minutes. Trounson generally finds she has enough time for a bathroom break or a coffee run while charging, but that's it. One thing to note is that charging speeds are limited by an EV model's internal capacity. Plugging an older model into an ultra-fast charger won't shorten charging times. How do I charge on-the-go? ChargeNet is the major supplier of our public charging stations with over 400 sites. You just have to set up an account to use them. Sessions can be started through the ChargeNet app, or through a key fob. The fob links to your account, and you just scan it to start and stop sessions. 'I find that the app is fine and dandy if you're travelling in places with good reception… I choose to use my tag because it's almost simpler, but some people prefer everything listed on their phone,' Trounson says. How much does on-road charging cost? ChargeNet estimates the average rapid or hyper-rapid charging session to cost between $5 and $15. With the Genesis EVerywhere plan, customers can charge their EV at ChargeNet stations at their home rates, saving up to 70%^ on fees. They can also pay for their ChargeNet sessions via their Genesis Energy bill. How do I plan for a long trip? Before taking a long trip, Trounson recommends doing a test run at a nearby public charging station first. 'It's like being taken to a petrol station by your parents when you first learn to drive. Someone explains to you how to lift the nozzle, and where the tank is. It's not that hard, you've just got to learn how to use it.' You'll also want to pre-plan your charging stops and ChargeNet has an in-app map of their locations. Once on the road, Trounson says the rule-of-thumb is to charge to 80% and then move on. Anymore, it costs you extra time and money for little benefit as the delivery of electricity tapers off dramatically. 'Imagine you're trying to fill a bucket with a firehose without spilling anything. You can be gung-ho until an inch from the top, and then you have to be very careful. It's the same principle.' Any charging etiquette to be aware of? It's mostly basic courtesy, says Trounson. The biggest faux pas is probably unplugging someone's car before it's done charging, or pressing the emergency stop button in the absence of an emergency. 'All EVs can use public chargers, but you have to observe the parking limits. Don't use a charging area just to park because it's easier. Monitor your charging session and return to your car when it's done – you don't want to be the one holding up a space someone needs. 'We just try and get people to understand that you have to be polite, and there's a queuing system if necessary. But that only usually comes into play during peak times like Christmas.'
NZ Herald
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- NZ Herald
Northland boosted with jet fuel tank, dry dock, rail link announcements
'A commercial dry dock will bring specialist skills and international customers to NZ, maintaining large ships in a manner that a maritime nation desperately needs,' Peters said. Estimated to cost $500 million, the dry dock will enable large ships and ferries to be serviced in NZ. A report by Northland Inc suggested the facility could create an additional 1135 jobs and generate an income of $290m a year by 2060. Peters said procurement is close. 'We are getting closer to finalising procurement of a provider for the Regional Infrastructure Fund part-funded dry dock at Northport, which offers the best harbour in NZ as it is deep, there is plenty of land, and transport connectivity is only going to get better. 'As an exporting nation, we need strong connections for shipping lines and Northport offers the efficient shipping connections to bolster port services in Tauranga and Auckland.' Peters also announced the Marsden Point Rail Link will be open for discussions with investors and potential builders. The link, estimated to cost at least $300m, will provide rail to Marsden Point and Northport. 'We are pleased to confirm that KiwiRail will open discussions, under commercial agreements, on its Marsden Point Rail Link design data for investors and builders – informing the best approach for building and funding this project,' Peters said. He highlighted the importance of Marsden Point to the country. 'The burgeoning energy, export and economic powerhouse of Marsden Point means NZ will prosper with much needed jobs, trade, manufacturing and economic development.' A recent NZIER report commissioned by Northland Corporate Group found Northland could become a $60-billion-a-year economy by 2050 through such projects. Jones pointed to the new fuel tank, a collaboration between Channel Infrastructure and Z Energy, which will store more jet fuel before it is sent to Auckland Airport through the pipeline spanning Marsden Point to Wiri. The tank will provide an additional 30 million litres of fuel - enough for the equivalent of about 10,000 flights between Auckland and Wellington, he said. Channel Infrastructure, which stores and distributes 80% of all NZ's jet fuel, is investing up to $30m over two years for the tank. Z Energy is also increasing storage at Marsden Point, Jones said. 'While this on its own is great news for NZ's fuel resilience, other initiatives being undertaken here such as the potential development of sustainable aviation fuel, the upcoming construction of a bitumen import terminal, diesel peaker and biorefinery make Marsden Point a world-class proposition,' he said. 'As I announced earlier this year, I am particularly interested in how we, as a country, develop these areas further and attract investment into our regions. 'I will be taking a paper to Cabinet soon on the use of special economic zones (SEZs) to do just that. With attractive regulatory regimes and tax treatment, SEZs could be the fuel that really gets NZ's economic engine roaring,' Jones said. More to come
NZ Herald
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- NZ Herald
New Zealand can absorb 15% tariff shock - ANZ group chief economist
Ultimately, that meant at worst a hit of 15% on 2% of New Zealand's total GDP, he said. 'It doesn't strike me as a macroeconomically relevant number.' The US was New Zealand's largest market for red meat in the year to June, and industry representatives said the increased tariff would put farmers and exporters at a clear competitive disadvantage. It is also Fonterra's second largest single export market (by value) – primarily taking specialist dairy protein ingredients that are used in the manufacture of nutritional products for US and global consumers. America is a key export destination for respiratory products maker Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, which has extensive manufacturing assets in New Zealand and Mexico. It is also a significant market for New Zealand wine. In all, the US represents about 11% of total exports. 'For the firms and sectors which export, it's a challenge and it's another challenge on top of higher technology costs, difficulty accessing the right labour at the right price in certain segments,' Yetsenga said. It might mean more competition, and it added to medium-term concerns about the structural Chinese economic slowdown. But Yetsenga remained upbeat about New Zealand's economic recovery. 'Look, lower interest rates are a powerful tonic,' he said. 'New Zealand's economy had a pretty difficult year in 2024, but 2025 is stronger so far and and our view is we'll continue to improve into 2026.' New Zealand's challenges were a slower burn and more structural in nature, he said. The fact that we're in a world of more geostrategic competition, was one of the challenges. 'Tariffs are a byproduct of that, with different economies seeking to build domestic advantage [and] also impose costs on third economies like New Zealand. The fact China was structurally slower and had a weaker inflation story, was another issue for New Zealand exporters. 'I think all of these things are headwinds over time, not acute, but more chronic, I think.' More broadly, tariffs were expected to take a toll on global growth but there was no threat of global recession, he said. 'The global economy last year did about 3.3%. This year we anticipate about 3%, so certainly a slowdown that you can see in the data, but still just a modest slowdown. 'To put 3% for the global economy in context, global population growth is about 1%. A global recession is global GDP growth below population growth. 'We're a long way from global recession. Even though it has become a more challenging environment and tariffs are contributing to that global slowdown.' Liam Dann is Business Editor at Large for the New Zealand Herald. He is a senior writer and columnist, as well as presenting and producing videos and podcasts. He joined the Herald in 2003.
