Hikotron electric vehicle (EV) charging stations are now available on site at Claudelands to help meet the changing needs of our clients and reflect our commitment to sustainability.
Three charging stations are now operational, two charging stations are located on Claudelands’ Exhibition Plaza directly outside the conference centre and the third charger can be found in the Claudelands’ Gate 1 Carpark off Heaphy Terrace. Each station is capable of charging two vehicles at a time, meaning all three stations are able to simultaneously charge six vehicles on site. Access to the EV chargers on the Exhibition Plaza will be controlled to ensure priority use to our clients and visitors.
The charging stations are Alternating Current (AC) chargers and include a universal fitting, so they are compatible with all charging cables. To use the charging stations all you need are your own charging cables and the
Hikotron app (available on Google Play or the Apple App Store), and to follow the simple steps below – easy as that!
- Download the Hikotron app
- Scan the QR code to view details about the charger and to start charging
- Plug in using your charging cords
- Monitor your charge session to know when your charge is finished
- View your account info and top-up your account with credit for payment
To find out more view our Client Information Sheet and User Etiquette Guide.
Did you know?
According to EECA (New Zealand’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority), transport makes up 21% of the country’s carbon footprint, with most of that coming from the light vehicle fleet (cars, vans and utes).
Light vehicles were responsible for almost 11MtCO2e (metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent) emissions in 2019.
By the end of this decade more than 50% of monthly vehicle sales in New Zealand need to be electric to meet our emissions reductions targets – requiring a jump from about 6000 electric vehicles purchased in 2020 to annual sales of 150,000 electric vehicles.
New Zealand’s Climate Change Commission has recommended phasing out imports of fossil-fuelled cars by no later than 2035
About Hikotron
Hikotron are an EV charging company based in Hamilton that are creating and rolling out state-of-the-art AC public chargers. They aim to provide electric vehicle drivers a service that is focused on a simple user experience, reliability and convenience, and are working to establish New Zealand’s largest EV AC charging network so that drivers with electric vehicles can travel from destination
to destination with the confidence that they can charge their vehicles upon arrival.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions about our new EV chargers and our approach to sustainability...
The first two EV charging stations on the Exhibition Plaza became operational in January 2023, with the third station installed in our Gate 1 Carpark off Heaphy Terrace in March 2023.
H3 has a commitment to sustainability and reducing the environmental impact from events. Installation of EV charging stations on site at Claudelands reflects this and helps to support and encourage the use of electric vehicles which is important in reducing the country’s carbon footprint. It also helps to better meet the needs of our clients and visitors, whose requirements for access to EV charging facilities are increasing.
To use the chargers, users must have the Hikotron app and scan the QR code on the charger or manually enter their name. They then use their own cables to connect their vehicle to the charger – the lights on the charger will change to reflect the various stages in the charging process and the charging status can also be viewed via the app.
Yes, you will need to download the Hikotron app to be able to use the chargers. It can be downloaded from Google Play or the Apple App Store.
Yes, the chargers will be available for anyone to use, provided they can access our Gate 1 Carpark or the Exhibition Plaza. It is important to note that sometimes are car parks are closed (such as overnight or on weekends when no events are taking place) or restricted due to events taking place on site.
It will cost $0.50 per kWh to charge your vehicles using our EV chargers.
Each vehicle, battery and scenario are different so charging times will vary. However since most EV vehicles do not arrive at a location on 0% and typically charge up to around 80% (as this is the optimum battery charge level), we expect most vehicles would charge for around 2-4 hours on site.
At first glance it does seem like a faster charger would be a simpler solution to EV charging needs but in reality there are a number of reasons why they do not suit most locations. The main reason is power availability and cost, with fast chargers around 10 times more expensive to install due the need for more complex infrastructure.
Hikotron focuses on ‘destination charging’ which allows users to charge while they are parked and this requires much less infrastructure to install. At Claudelands we know that visitors will have longer dwell times which suits a slower destination charger perfectly as you can plug in once you arrive on site and then get on with business or enjoyment at the venue while the charging takes place.
Because AC chargers require less power, we can install a number of these chargers on site and enable several vehicles to charge at the same time – as opposed to just one rapid charger which means only one vehicle could charge at a time.
Rapid chargers are best suited for those taking longer journeys and needing to charge up en route. When using a rapid charger, ideally the driver should remain with the vehicle and move it quickly once charging is complete –therefore it is not the best option for a destination like Claudelands.
We ask all users to follow our User Etiquette Guide and ensure they move their vehicle once its fully charged.
Our staff are also able to monitor the status of each charger and may follow up with anyone who remains parked while not charging.
Any issues or damage can be reported directly to Hikotron via the mobile app. If you notice any damage or vandalism to any of the charging stations, you can also report it to venue staff.
While there are no immediate plans at this stage to install more EV charging stations, we anticipate an increasing demand for these facilities as more people convert to electric vehicles. For now, we are excited to take this first step in our EV charging journey!
Claudelands already has a number of sustainable initiatives in place including recycling, use of compostable food packaging, water recycling and energy-efficient lighting and heating solutions and sweet muffins that utilise ‘rescued’ bread flour to help reduce food waste.
We are committed to introducing a range of new environmentally friendly initiatives and are encouraging
our team, clients and guests to think and act sustainably when they are on site.