24 Mar 2016

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Christchurch City Council is charging ahead with a new policy to encourage electric car usage.

Under the policy Council will support and encourage the installation of privately and publicly available electric vehicle charging stations in off-street parking spaces and new developments throughout Christchurch.

In some cases it will also allow publicly available charging stations to be installed on streets and on Council-owned land.

In many cities around the world electric vehicles are helping to reduce transport related emissions and the carbon footprint of the transport sector.

While in New Zealand there are currently only about 1000 registered electric vehicles in use and 142 public charging stations, those numbers are expected to grow significantly in coming years.

The Christchurch Transport Strategic Plan encourages the use of battery electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions and create a better environment.

Deputy Mayor Vicki Buck said the Council wanted to make it as easy as possible for people to switch to electric vehicles.

"This policy is great because it sorts out our current rules so that it's clear that we can put electric charging stations in.

"This will be important to ensure that we get sufficient charging capacity in the city for electric vehicles when they require it. We are keen to make the switch as easy as possible,'' Deputy Mayor Buck said.

The Council is also investigating the potential for a shared vehicle fleet that includes electric vehicles. If the shared fleet project is not progressed, other opportunities to electrify the Council fleet will be investigated.