Fast charger plug in for electric vehicles.

It's one of the smallest towns in Rangitikei, but a Mangaweka cafe is driving the region into the future. 

State Highway 1 motorists can now refuel their electric car at Papa Cliff Cafe after a fast charger station was installed in December. 

Owner Sharon Grayson bought the cafe eight months ago and approached ChargeNet NZ to install the station in an attempt to revive the town. 

She said Mangaweka had sat back and watched the endless supply of highway traffic pass through the town for too long. 

"I want to put Mangaweka on the map. It's an old town and I want to bring it back to life," she said. 

ChargeNet NZ approached the previous owners but they declined the charging station. 

With a 20-minute wait for cars to fully charge, the cafe on Koraenui St was the best location for the fast charger station, Grayson said. 

The Papa Cliff Cafe fast charger is one of the more powerful units, dramatically reducing the charge time. A standard charger would take longer than an hour. 

Electric Vehicles have a charger built in that converts power from the grid into direct current power for the car's battery. 

Motorists plug the electric hose into their car. They then scan a card or phone app that gives them access to the fast charger network.

Mangaweka resident Richard Aslett said the development helped Mangaweka's profile.

"It's great that the town has this facility, one of only a few in the country. It looks like this is the way to go with a fast growing number of these cars on our roads," he said.

"The implications for the town having the charger are all positive as this makes Mangaweka a definite place on the map for its users."

Rangitikei mayor Andy Watson applauded Grayson's initiative.

"It's something the council is very mindful of now with the new Bulls Community Centre and it's something we can look into there," he said.

 "It took a group of very community-minded people to get this project going. 

"Our district is a big chunk of the State Highway 1 network and we have a large land space without any major cities so we have to keep catering to the travelling motorists." 

 - Stuff