Fast chargers for electric vehicles are to be installed on the Napier-Taupo Highway. 

The project, by Unison Networks, is one of 15 to receive conditional funding from the Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund.

Unison chief executive Ken Sutherland said the undisclosed level of funding would be used to install two fast chargers on the 'Thermal Explorer Highway' route between Taupo and Napier.

It is understood to be the first rural stretch of road to have chargers installed on it.

The average electric vehicle can run for 60 to 320kilometres on one charge. 

"This project will mean EV [electric vehicle] drivers won't have to worry about finding a charging station along the 140 km stretch of road," Sutherland said.

Two new charging stations along the Napier-Taupo Road would likely be in place by June, with another planned for Taupo this year.

Sutherland said Unison had been an active supporter of electric vehicles and had committed to converting 30 percent of its corporate fleet to electric vehicles in the next three years. It already had three charging stations across its network last year.

"Just over six months after the first Power Park was launched, collectively the chargers have had over 800 fast-charging sessions in total and delivered 7,300 kWh of electricity," he said.

The $3.5million Fund was established as part of a package of initiatives to help stimulate electric vehicle uptake and meet the target of 64,000 electric vehicles on New Zealand roads by 2021. This first funding round was heavily oversubscribed with around 80 applications.

The Fund was established as part of a package of initiatives to help stimulate electric vehicle uptake and meet the target of 64,000 electric vehicles on New Zealand roads by 2021. This first funding round was heavily oversubscribed with around 80 applications.

Energy and Resources Minister Judith Collins said the funding provided up to 50 per cent funding for projects that would "demonstrate and showcase low emission vehicle technologies in high-profile, visible ways that will help to normalise these technologies, and that can be implemented relatively quickly. I'm delighted that we've managed to achieve that in such a compelling way in the first funding round."

As at December there were 2278 electric vehicles registered in NZ. Twenty-three of these were in Hawke's Bay.

Source: Stuff.co.nz