FEBRUARY 2021 WHY WE ARE BUYING AN MG ZS EV p. 05 P. 04 P. 10 P. 16 EV CONFERENCE EVS VITAL EECA FUNDING Drive your business forward with 1 EVS AND Call BEYOND Steve FEBRUARY Owens 2021 now| WWW.EVSANDBEYOND.CO.NZ on 021 947 752 IT'S ALL FOR By Geoff Dobson, EVS Editor here’s a tonne of things happening in the e-mobility He says he never sold one EV in January – the first month related field this year, starting with our EVs and of no sales during more than 50 years in the automotive TBeyond Conference on Electric Island Waiheke on industry. March 1 and 2. Mind you, the EV market has picked up again with the Register now. latest registrations showing a healthy surge. A host of announcements are expected at the conference, However, EVs need a kick start now, and Kiwis could including the launch of an electric ferry. save billions of dollars by switching to EVs, according to And there’ll be discussion around electric aircraft, electric/ Transpower. hydrogen trucks, where EV supplies will come from, and That’s among findings in its newly published A Roadmap much more. for Electrification, which studies actions that could Considerable talk will be around the Government’s accelerate the electrification of New Zealand’s transport proposal to introduce a raft of measure to reduce carbon and process heat sectors to reduce emissions while emissions, including the Clean Car Import Standard. delivering significant economic benefits. One of the keynote speakers, Climate Change Policies are urgently needed, Transpower chief executive Commission chair Rod Carr, will be facing the trade for Alison Andrew reckons, putting up the sobering point that the first time since releasing a government-commissioned every year of delay in electrifying transport will increase report calling for a ban on importing petrol and diesel light New Zealand’s cumulative emissions and transport costs vehicles from 2032. by 1% and $1 billion respectively through to 2050. The commission’s first draft advice features in this issue, If the Government pushed out plenty of money during the and it has prompted plenty of reaction. COVID crisis (which many believe may not be over yet – at least not globally – in spite of the vaccine roll outs), then The draft report is open for consultation until March 14 perhaps it could spend some on EV education, promotions with final advice released before May 31, after which the and even some incentives. Government will respond with an Emissions Reduction Plan before the end of the year. Many EV fans say even just simple measures such as bringing back EV access for special lanes at motorway That has some in the EV industry wondering if the on-ramps like that trialled in Auckland, parking privileges Government should be moving faster on the whole issue and the like, would help. (see P26 and 27), while others prefer caution (P7-9). Meanwhile, get to the EVs and Beyond Conference if The commission says Government support and incentives you want to learn a whole lot more – see P3-5 for more are critical to ensuring the majority of vehicles coming into details. New Zealand for everyday use are electric by 2035. The Government is “considering” a feebate scheme which penalises polluters and rewards low emission purchases – but many are wondering if that will be introduced this year. EV dealers are sceptical – saying it’s been talked about for some time and has stopped some potential EV buyers who decided to wait for expected discounts. Speaking of EV dealers, we profile one who has stopped leasing a yard for selling mainly secondhand Nissan Leafs, largely blaming the COVID-19 pandemic, although EDITORGeoff Dobson he plans to continue working in the EV sphere as a consultant. 2 EVS AND BEYOND FEBRUARY 2021 | WWW.EVSANDBEYOND.CO.NZ ELECTRIFYING EV CONFERENCE PROMISED ew Zealand’s EV big guns will be world’s first electrified residential islands, there as The EVent – EVs and Beyond including electric transport. NElectric Vehicle Industry Conference EVs and Beyond publisher Auto Media Group – takes centre stage on Electric Island Ltd managing editor Richard Edwards then Waiheke in Auckland on March 1 and 2. opens the conference and will moderate The conference at the Waiheke Island various panel discussions. Resort is sure to set the pace around You can read more about UBCO’s expansion debate about recent Government plans in this issue. emissions measures expected in the Clean EVs are not just for land-based transport Car Import Standard, consideration of EV with a look at air and sea electric incentives and more. GARY FREEDMAN alternatives canvassed in the next session. Indeed, keynote speaker and Climate This includes Gary Freedman talking about Change Commission chair Dr Rod Carr ElectricAir’s achievements in getting the will front the second day of the conference first electric aircraft into New Zealand’s talking about the commission’s recently skies, followed by discussion around released draft advice urging action and electric ferries. what it all means. East by West Ferries managing director The two-day programme will be launched Jeremy Ward aims to have a new electric by Waiheke Local Board chair Cath ferry on the water in Wellington shortly. Handley – the board adopting the Electric Island Waiheke Trust’s goals to exclude Liz Yeaman of Retyna consulting covers ANDREW CLENNETT fossil fuels by 2030 and become one of the how electric ferries are charged up, while Continued on following page... Subscribe to an EV today! WWW.EVSANDBEYOND.CO.NZ | EVS AND BEYOND FEBRUARY 2021 3 ...Continued from previous page ROD CARR HAYDEN PADDON. AARON GILLON Michael Eaglen of EV Maritime explains instance). plans for electric ferries on Auckland’s Day two kicks off with Rod Carr as keynote Hauraki Gulf. speaker, followed by ITSNZ Young Transport Back on land, automotive expert Phill Professional Amy Strang talking about how Haynes covers the impact the Clean young people can play a part in designing Car Import Standard may have on New future transport systems. Zealand’s vehicle fleet and sales. He also Simon McManus of ITSNZ, who also features in this issue. appears in this issue, hosts a session on Where New Zealand will get its used EVs “The Unbundling of Transport”, which is outlined by Hayden Johnston of GVI includes Martin McMullan of Mobli, Kirsten Electric, while the source of new EVs will Corson of Zilch and Jeremy Rooke from STEVE WEST be presented by Anthony MacLean of Boost Turners’ Subsciptions. Auto consultants, responsible for launching After Paddon’s talk, Aaron Gillon of YHI the electric MG here. Energy covers EV fleet charging and some Heavy electric trucks are as yet few and of the pain points customers encounter, far between in New Zealand. One of the while Steve West of ChargeNet NZ explores first to test them on the road is Alsco NZ the move to high-powered charging and with its business and product development how progress on establishing a nation-wide manager Gavin Smith explaining how it’s charging network is going. going and the lessons learned. EECA funding for ChargeNet has been Fuso NZ has had the eCanter out for some approved in the latest round – all covered in time, the group’s sales and customer this edition. HELEN FITT experience manager Kathy Schluter The afternoon session for Day Two has discusses how the electric truck integrates Gillon back to explain “peak shaving into transport operations. technology” and a new EV charger which Hydrogen looks set to play a big role can use solar and vehicle-to-everything in transportation – especially in trucks functions. and possibly other modes such as long- Lincoln University lecturer Helen Fitt looks distance trains. at how EVs can be part of New Zealand’s Andrew Clennett of Hiringa Energy talks tourism industry, while Richard Heaps about hydrogen production and distribution, explains his PowerTrip app and how smart while Gavin Young from Hyundai New software can increase the efficiency of EVs Zealand outlines prospects for hydrogen and their journeys. AMY STRANG power. A final panel session and wrap up ends the The first day wraps up with a networking two-day conference. dinner with Kiwi rally driver Hayden Paddon See you there! the guest speaker. Visit www.evsandbeyond.co.nz/tickets He explains his newly launched electric to grab your conference spot or contact rally car based on a Hyundai Kona at a Deborah on deborah@automediagroup. session the next day, adding how he sees co.nz or phone 027 530 5016 for more motorsport going electric (it already information. has the ABB FIA Formula E series, for KIRSTEN CORSON 4 EVS AND BEYOND FEBRUARY 2021 | WWW.EVSANDBEYOND.CO.NZ MG JOINS THE FAMILY t could be argued that there is no better compliment to a product from a reviewer Ithan to put their money where their mouth is and actually buy one. And that is what we here at EVs and Beyond are going to do for the MG ZS EV. It is not the first EV we have had on the fleet. Our publisher Vern Whitehead has, for the last five years, trundled around Waiheke Island in our much-loved and well-used Nissan Leaf. Let’s face it, they are the gateway drug keys myself. The MG has managed to claim an EV-focussed motoring writer angle, but to the EV world. a space in our largely storage-focussed from the angle of a busy mum who probably But for me, the Leaf never quite cut it for my garage. Something the Ford never managed. didn’t want the hassle of changing cars into personal circumstances.