NC-023··National-led coalition (with ACT & NZ First)·programme
Public EV charging - grants to loans
Harm -1What happened
Replaced direct CERF/Labour-era EV charger grants with ~$66m concessionary loan pool (NIFF-administered); first major loan awards March 2026 (~2,500 chargers). Rollout slower vs prior grant approach.
Why it matters
Slower public charging build-out weakens EV ecosystem after Discount repeal.
Impact assessment
Modest harm - funding largely retained but delivery model delayed infrastructure vs counterfactual.
Scale: ~$66m loan pool; $52.7m first awards (2026)
Attribution
primary (medium confidence) -National
Transport Minister Chris Bishop; repurposed prior appropriation.
Coalition period: National-led coalition (with ACT & NZ First) (27 November 2023 - present)
Categories
mitigation