108 | BUSINESS Evnex T T Karen Phelps Leading the way with home-charging tech The Evnex team - the Christchurch-based company is the largest manufacturer of EV charging hardware in Australasia. “We have built chargers that can deliver up to four times the speed of a standard wall socket while still being safe for the home.” 03 366 7686 admin@completepowersolutions.co.nz www.completepowersolutions.co.nz At CPS, our mission is to provide unparalleled electrical services to both residential and commercial clients. We strive to deliver exceptional quality services that are reliable, safe, and efficient. We love coffee! Think CPS for sales, service & repairs. Commercial or domestic. Automatic or manual - we can take care of it all. For all things Coffee, come see us at 60 Montreal St. Scheduled Maintenance • Coffee Machines • EV Chargers Residential • Commercial • Property Management Office & Shop Fit Outs • New Homes & Architectural Builds Rising electric vehicle (EV) ownership across New Zealand and Australia is accelerating demand for smarter, safer and more efficient home charging technology, according to Christchurch-based company Evnex. Founded after local engineer Ed Harvey converted his own vehicle to electric and found there was no suitable home charging solution available, it has grown into the largest manufacturer of EV charging hardware in Australasia, employing around 50 staff across its Christchurch headquarters and an additional office in Sydney. The company’s key point of difference is that it designs and manufactures smart charging systems tailored specifically for Australasian homes. “More people are purchasing EVs, but home energy systems haven’t always kept up,” says Evnex product manager Tom Rose. “What we are focused on is making sure charging fits safely and intelligently into the way homes already use electricity.” He says the shift to electric transport is not just about replacing petrol cars but about rethinking how households manage energy overall. As more homes adopt solar panels, home batteries and electric vehicles at the same time, the interaction between these systems has become increasingly important. The company’s flagship is the E2 range, designed for residential use, offering a slimline, wall-mounted design compatible with any EV, home battery system, solar installation or standard grid connection. The range is designed to suit different household needs, from entry-level smart charging through to higher-specification systems with enhanced connectivity and solar optimisation. “Home charging should be simple, fast and flexible,” says Tom. “We have built chargers that can deliver up to four times the speed of a standard wall socket while still being safe for the home.” Depending on the model, Evnex chargers can deliver up to 50km of range per hour, with higher-powered three-phase systems providing even faster charging. Its X22 model is designed for larger households or multi- vehicle homes requiring higher capacity, particularly where energy demand is more complex. A key feature across the range is solar diversion technology, which allows EVs to be charged using surplus solar energy. The system is designed to detect when a home is generating excess solar power and automatically redirect it into vehicle charging, reducing reliance on the grid and lowering energy costs. “We are helping people turn free solar energy into free kilometres,” says Tom. “The system can prioritise solar, the grid, or a combination of both depending on what is most efficient at the time.” He says this flexibility is becoming increasingly important as energy prices fluctuate, cost of living increases and more households look for ways to maximise self-generated power. The chargers also include built-in overload protection, automatically reducing demand if a household approaches its electrical limit. Tom says this ensures that charging does not interfere with other appliances running in the home, which is particularly important in older properties or homes with multiple high-load devices operating at once. It’s a layer of protection that some EV chargers overlook, says Tom, but one that is extremely important to the Evnex team. “That kind of protection is essential and gives people confidence they can plug in their vehicle without worrying about tripping the power or overloading the system.” Evnex works closely with a network of certified installers, as well as energy retailers and electricity distribution companies, to ensure its systems integrate smoothly into wider energy networks. Its chargers are also connected to the internet, allowing ongoing software updates that can add new features such as improved scheduling tools or electricity tariff optimisation. As EV adoption continues to rise, Tom believes the role of smart charging will become increasingly important in balancing household energy use with national grid demand. “We are essentially building the bridge between transport and energy systems,” he says. “As more cars go electric, the way we manage energy at home has to evolve with it.”
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