Driving from Taupo to Wellington in an EV

Today, we have returned from a lovely summer holiday near Taupō. The driving distance was 342 km, with an expected driving time of 4:40.

Unlike our previous journey, this time we set out to charge the fewest number of times.

Stop 1: Mangaweka (7 mins)

Abandoned DC3 at Mangaweka International Airport

We really wanted to stop in Bulls (191 km) — this was well within driving range, but (like last time) we wanted to avoid the possibility of being stuck awaiting a busy charger.

So instead, we stopped at the town beforehand (Mangaweka) for 7 mins and added 5.4 kWh of energy (cost $3.31). This would allow us to stop at our desired charge location of Bulls, but if the charger was in use, we could drive onto the next town (Foxton).

Stop 2: Bulls (44 mins)

The charger was not in use. We stopped here for morning tea. The aim was to get to 80% charge, so that we could drive all the way back to Wellington without stopping.

Bulls is a great place to stop. Unlike many of the central North Island towns, there’s plenty of life, and new developments happening. We went to Mint Cafe at a little strip mall.

Bulls, New Zealand

We ended up spending longer at the cafe than expected, and the car charged up to 89% adding 21.2 kWh for $16.56. Plenty to get home.

Summary: Easy drive

The drive home was easier, with fewer stops.

Total cost was $19.87 for a four and a half hour drive.

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