What is this guidance about?

Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) are best practice documents developed by Standards New Zealand along with EECA, industry, and other experts. This best practice guidance is for New Zealand business owners thinking about buying an EV for their fleet or providers of EV supply equipment or associated EV charging services. It provides information on safe, energy efficient and smart EV charging in commercial settings.  

Whether you’re installing EV chargers for a fleet, a workplace, a public charging station, or a commercial site like a retail or hospitality venue, this guidance will help you make the right decisions. It will help you understand the types of charging infrastructure that suit New Zealand workplaces and commercial premises and explains how to optimise EV charging systems to ensure safe and efficient charging.

Why getting EV charging right matters 

EV charging infrastructure that follows industry best practice ensures safety, efficiency, and long-term value while supporting New Zealand’s transition to cleaner transport. The PAS highlights key reasons why careful selection and installation of EV chargers is essential. These include: 

  • Using a qualified electrician ensures compliance with New Zealand electrical safety standards, reducing fire and electrical risks.  
  • Smart chargers manage electricity grid demand, schedule charging for off-peak hours and integrate with solar to reduce costs. 
  • Choosing compatible chargers with smart connectivity ensures they can meet current and future needs without costly upgrades.  
  • Appropriate security measures are essential to ensure their functions are resilient to cyber threats.

Important features of a commercial EV charging setup  

As explained in the PAS, a well-designed commercial EV charging setup should: 

  • Include load management capabilities to prevent overloading the site’s electrical capacity. 
  • Support different vehicle types, payment systems and energy management platforms. 
  • Enable demand flexibility to optimise energy use and reduce costs. 
  • Align with the technical specifications in Section 3 of the PAS. 

Tips for getting the most from your EV charging setup: 

  • Plan for growth and scalability — consider potential upgrades or future expansion needs as EV adoption increases.  
  • Assess electrical capacity — understand your existing electrical infrastructure and whether upgrades are needed. 
  • Ensure a seamless user experience — EV charging should be convenient, easy to access, use, and pay for. 

Ready to get started?

If you own or manage a fleet of vehicles and don’t know where to start, the checklist in Appendix A of the PAS will help. This checklist will help you define your needs, determine site suitability, select appropriate charging equipment, and optimise its performance.  

Check out the detailed guidance here. This link will take you to the Standards New Zealand website where you can download the PAS at no cost.