EECA seeking partners for a new trial of two-way EV chargers

The trial will build on EECA’s first trial now underway in Queenstown, expanding its research into how EV batteries can be used to supply electricity to New Zealand homes and businesses - and support the electricity grid. 

EECA is seeking a supplier to deliver a trial of up to 100 light vehicle chargers (and potentially up to 5 heavy vehicle chargers) across one or more urban locations. 

“Opening a second trial gives us an opportunity to test these chargers in a different range of situations, for example, people typically commute differently in more densely populated areas than they do in Queenstown,” said Murray Bell, EECA’s Group Manager of Policy and Regulation. 

“It gives us a chance to test the performance of a wider range of different fleet types, charging environments and vehicle and charger models.” 
 
“This will result in better and more useful information for New Zealanders wanting to take advantage of this emerging, smart technology.” 

“Countries such as Australia, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK are increasingly recognising that electric cars don’t just have to be energy users; they can be energy storers and providers too,” said Bell. 
 
“New Zealand has an opportunity to be a fast follower, by building on evidence from other countries and testing what works in our unique conditions.” 

Two-way chargers enable electric vehicles to both draw electricity from the grid and supply electricity back from the vehicle to a home, building, or the wider electricity network. 

Because this is a relatively new technology to the New Zealand market, EECA is trialling the use of two-way chargers in Aotearoa to understand how the technology works in real-world local conditions, including: 

• what’s required to enable them to interact with the electricity system  
• how they interact with the electricity system, including responding to electricity price changes and times of peak demand  
• how they can add value for a variety of homes and businesses 
• how people will engage with and use them.  

The findings will help build an evidence base to inform future policies and guidance that enable two-way chargers to be rolled out effectively in New Zealand. 

Find out more about EECA’s new request for proposals:  

Urban two-way EV charging trial | EECA 

Potential benefits of two-way charging to NZ’s energy system;

As EV uptake grows, electricity demand increases, and more electricity comes from renewable and intermittent sources, it is essential to understand how two-way charging technology can work for Aotearoa technically, economically, and for consumers.  

The flexibility offered by two-way chargers can:  

• Help reduce peak electricity demand and reduce strain on transmission and distribution networks, reducing the need for costly upgrades to the network of poles and wires.  
• Enhance energy resilience and long-term energy security by making more efficient use of the infrastructure (poles and wires) we already have.  
• Lower costs for energy users by allowing charging when electricity is cheaper and the exporting of any surplus electricity when the price is high.   
• Help EV owners get the most value from the powerful batteries they already have in their cars.  
• Help keep households powered up during network outages and extreme weather events.  

EECA research shows home charging is the main way people charge their EVs. This means there is potential to use parked vehicles for energy storage while they are charging at home.  

Read our EV charging research 

Read more about our two-way EV charging trials 

Queenstown two-way charging trial 

A trial is currently underway in Queenstown, where EECA plans to install an initial tranche of fewer than 10 two-way chargers. If successful, we will expand the trial to around 30-40 chargers across a mix of homes and businesses with installations to be completed during 2026.  

This trial is being delivered in partnership with Rewiring Aotearoa, who are supporting participant recruitment through the Queenstown Electrification Accelerator.

Queenstown Electrification Accelerator(external link)  

Next steps 

EECA’s trials will collect detailed technical and behavioural data over a period of one year following installation. EECA intends to publish insights starting in 2026 as the projects progress, and a final report upon completion. Insights will include information on the state of the market, installation and compatibility considerations, and user experiences.  

Additional information

A range of terms are used to describe how EVs can interact with the electricity system. Two-way charging is used by EECA as an umbrella term to cover all of these uses. However, not all two-way chargers are capable of delivering all of these functions.

New regulations for EV chargers  

Cabinet has agreed to new regulations for EV chargers specifying that EV chargers above 2.4 kW will need to meet minimum smart functionality requirements and include labels showing their energy performance and smart features. Lower-powered “trickle” chargers that come with most EVs won’t be affected. Once passed, amendments to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act 2000 will enable EECA to regulate the energy flexibility of EV chargers for the first time, with the detailed requirements to be set through EECA-developed rules (and approved by the Minister for Energy). The application of these rules to bi-directional charging will be considered further as part of detailed consultation on proposed rules.   

Read the press release here: Cheaper, smarter EV charging on the way for Kiwis | Beehive.govt.nz (external link)

About EECA 

EECA is the government agency that works to improve the energy efficiency of New Zealand's homes and businesses and encourages the uptake of renewable energy. 

Our purpose is to mobilise New Zealanders to be world leaders in clean and clever energy use.