The free charger thing should stop.

It was a good idea in the early days when EV uptake and experience with EVs was low but now free charger just act as a barrier for new companies to get involved.

Here in Dunedin, there was a free charger installed by the council owned electricity company many years ago ?4+.

Originally with was good thing to make people confident that if they got caught short for power they could top up and continue driving around dunedin.

However it was in a very poor parking location and frequently was blocked by neighbouring cars parking poorly.

But Chargenet wasnt going to spend 65K plus per machine to install pay to use machine so they didnt and we were stuck with the status quo.

However once there were moves to remove the free council charger, chargenet became involved and we now have 4 rapid chargers in better locations. (5 if you count mosgile)

Another case was EV charging going north from dunedin. Originally where were no chargers between dunedin and oamaru which was outside the range of anything bar a tesla.

Chargenet put in a unit in Ranfurly and were going to put one in Palmerston to enable Dunedin people going north to recharge to get to Oamaru or recharge and go inland to Ranfurly.

But then a free charger was put in Hampton so the palmerston charger was cancelled and getting from Dunedin to Ranfurly wasnt possible in 24kw leafs.

A.