Electric vehicle hub charging ahead

A new electric vehicle charging hub is set to give Blenheim town centre a boost.

The hub, on Park Terrace just off the Main Street Roundabout, will have room for six vehicles.

And Marlborough Lines bosses hope the move will encourage drivers to explore all the CBD has to offer.

Marlborough Lines CEO Tim Cosgrove says the planned hub makes complete sense, with many factors lining up.

“As we see more and better EV’s on the road, having a large-scale central place for chargers both just off the main road and a short walk from the CBD is really attractive for travellers.

“It benefits local EV drivers too, so people travelling to or through Blenheim can park up, recharge their vehicle, and refresh themselves.

“We project plenty of positive flow-on effects by getting top-of-the-line chargers in there now, especially with more on the roads than ever.”

Three of the spaces will feature ChargeNet chargers operated by Marlborough Lines, with another three spaces for a separate Tesla SuperCharger installation.

Marlborough currently only has three public charger points, with two paid 50kWh chargers at both Spring Creek Four Square and Westwood Shopping Centre and two free, 25kWh chargers at The Warehouse.

“We saw the parcel of land available and thought we should take the lead and give more people a reason to stop and actually see central Blenheim before they head to other parts of Marlborough or onward,” Tim says.

“Having three times the capacity means that over the busiest times of year, our local infrastructure has the capacity to deal with the demand of travellers”.

Neighbouring business owner Sander de Wildt from Karaka Kitchen agrees with the “forward thinking” project and wants to see input from Council to make the new hub work even better.

“I think it is great for the growth of Blenheim. The fast-charging stations will give travellers coming through Blenheim an excuse to stop.

“The library and other cafes are only a short walk along the river, following the path under the bridge.

“The council is planning to tidy up the carpark a bit closer to the river, next to the BOC building, so hopefully the council will put in some 60-minute parking here, so cars won't block the parks all day”.