SEPTEMBER 2020 THE BRITISH INVASION* *VIA CHINA AND GERMANY P. 03 P. 10 P. 16 $3.2M IN EV FUNDING HYPERCHARGERS OPEN I3 LIVES ON Drive your business forward with 1 EVS AND Call BEYOND Steve SEPTEMBER Owens 2020 now| WWW.EVSANDBEYOND.CO.NZ on 021 947 752 NEW ZEALAND FAILS By Vern Whitehead, DISMALLY ON EVS Publisher ew Zealand is falling way, way behind the of just 3% and Poland a paltry 1%, according to since 1990. rest of the world in its move to a fossil figures by the International Council on Clean “Labour has failed to deliver a single new Nfuel free future. Transportation. policy to increase EV uptake. Their abandoned New Zealand politicians seem blind to the “The south remains a problem,” says a car car tax actually slowed EV sales and, if fact that 37% of the country’s emissions come industry executive. “No buying power, high implemented, would have punished those who from transport and unless something is done unemployment, no growth.” could least afford it. to promote EVs there is no chance of meeting “Exempting EVs from fringe benefit tax will the country’s signed agreements regarding HOT NEWS significantly bolster the second hand market emission targets. by giving Kiwis access to New Zealand-new, When we were all despairing that anything The current government has been particularly longer range, late model EVs.” would ever be done in New Zealand to promote impotent, not even bothering to show EVs, National announced an ambitious EV plan Stanford says National’s policy package is leadership by moving its own fleet to EVs and on Friday (September 11). practical, supported by the sector and will leaving it up to private citizens and companies deliver immediate positive benefits. to wave the banner for EVs. EVs will be exempt from fringe benefit tax (FBT) until 2025 to encourage fleet uptake, National believes more can be done to allow Compare this with Europe, for instance, where and a road user charge (RUC) exemption will the shift to fully electric, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) tough new limits on emissions are forcing be extended to at least 2023 under a National and hydrogen vehicles (FCEVs) sooner, its manufacturers to switch slowly to production government. two-page EV plan states, possibly including of EVs - and face fines of 14.5 billions of euros extending the RUC break for six years rather National’s EV policy, launched at Auckland (NZ$25 billion) if they do not hit these targets than three. by 2021. City Electric Vehicles in Auckland on September 11, also includes setting a target New Zealand has more than 22,000 EVs, The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a collapse of 80,000 EVs on the road by 2023 (four times representing about 0.6% of the light passenger in sales of diesel and gasoline cars, but electric the current level), allowing EVs to use bus fleet, but that growth is slow and has been and plug-in sales are booming, according to lanes and high-occupancy lanes, and aims to impacted by the Labour-led government’s the Association des Constructeurs Européens have a third of the government light vehicle Clean Car scheme, particularly its “feebate” d'Automobiles (ACEA), the European car lobby, fleet in EVs by 2023. proposal, it adds. accounting for 8% of sales in the first six “The policy was poorly targeted with most of months of 2020 - double last year’s rate. The party’s EV package estimates the fiscal impact at $93 million over four years. This the money going to drivers of smaller petrol Norway now plans to ban the sale of new includes $55m over four years in lower revenue cars rather than EVs.” diesel and petrol powered vehicles from 2025. from exempting EVs from FBT and $38m over The EV plan says EV sales growth slowed while One idea discussed by commission officials four years in electrifying the Government fleet. buyers “waited for a rebate that would never could see the EU match any national e-car A National Government will make EVs cheaper materialise”. purchase premium programmes as part of the and reduce transport emissions through its A new EV licence plate will be introduced coronavirus rescue effort. As capitals prepare “ambitious” EV plan, says National Party by National for ease of identification and to submit plans to access the €750 billion EU leader Judith Collins in announcing the policy to allow EV users to access bus lanes and recovery fund, that could encourage those with alongside National’s transport spokesperson high-occupancy vehicle lanes, which National low e-car penetration rates to set up stimulus Chris Bishop and associate environment says it will implement immediately on state programmes. spokesperson Erica Stanford. highways and work with councils to have in “The car industry will benefit from the “We’re committed to addressing the issue of cities if elected after October 17. ambitious recovery instrument of €750 billion our transport emissions in a practical and See P18 for Drive Electric’s view on National’s ... while remaining eligible for financial aid effective way,” Collins says. EV ideas and Labour’s “clean energy” plan. under several programmes within [the] revised Multiannual Financial Framework proposal,” a “This ambitious plan will make EVs cheaper commission official toldPolitico . and easier to own without unfairly taxing Kiwis. The growth in electric car sales is not because “We believe the future of transport in New the coronavirus has made car buyers greener. Zealand will be zero emissions. Our ambitious Rather, it's that government coronavirus and comprehensive plan will encourage the rescue programmes in big countries - purchase of EVs, create a thriving secondhand including Germany and France - have EV market, support sustainable transport PUBLISHERVern Whitehead included special provisions to make electric infrastructure, and lower carbon emissions in car sales especially attractive. New Zealand’s transport sector.” E-market shares hit 26% in Sweden and Bishop says transport emissions are the 9% in both Germany and France in June. By largest driver of increasing greenhouse gas contrast, Italy and Spain saw clean car shares emissions in New Zealand, having doubled 2 EVS AND BEYOND SEPTEMBER 2020 | WWW.EVSANDBEYOND.CO.NZ MEGAN WOODS AT THE ALSCO E-TRUCK LAUNCH. $3.2M FUNDING FOR 24 E-MOBILITY PROJECTS lectric truck, bus and bike projects share Some projects to receive the latest funding To put a public 50kW DC fast electric vehicle in a $3.2 million government funding include secure e-bike storage projects at charger in the North Island at Eketahuna, Eallocation. The 24 successful applicants the University of Otago, Hawke’s Bay Airport, filling a critical gap in the network. for round eight of the low emission vehicles Whakatane District Council, Big Street Bikers 3. ChargeNet NZ $153,515 contestable fund have been announced by (Wellington) and Invercargill City Council; Two 300kW high-power charging ports for Bulls energy and resources minister Dr Megan Tranzit for plans to convert a diesel bus Woods. to electric in Masterton; and Davis Food Installing one public dual 300kW charging Recipients contribute a total $5m themselves Ingredients to buy two electric trucks and station in Bulls on SH1, enabling the newest under the fund administered by the Energy testing electric and eutectic refrigeration generation of EVs to add 400km of charge in 15 Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA). technologies. minutes. The new projects encourage EV and e-bike Among several other recipients are ChargeNet 4. ChargeNet NZ $237,825 uptake. NZ to install multi-connection 300kW high- Four 300kW high-power charging ports for speed chargers at Smales Farm (North Kaiwaka For the first time, organisations could apply Shore), Christchurch, Bulls and Kaiwaka; ChargeNet NZ will install two public dual for co-funding to install secure e-bike storage Mahu City Express for testing a battery leasing 300kW charging stations in Kaiwaka in the facilities to encourage uptake, with five such solution for electric buses, urban cohousing North. projects approved. development Cohaus will install two slow EV “Demand for e-bikes is high, but we know one chargers as part of a car share scheme; and 5. ChargeNet NZ $213,575 barrier to regular e-bike commuting is having Critchlow Geospatial will develop software Four 300kW high-power charging ports for somewhere safe to store the bike,” Woods to help fleet owners work out the cost Christchurch says. effectiveness of EVs in their fleets. For two public dual 300kW charging stations in “Decarbonising the transport sector This round of funding takes the total number Christchurch. represents a huge opportunity to reduce the of projects funded to date to 163, worth a 6. ChargeNet NZ $237,725 country’s emissions and enable people to shift combined $27m in government funding, to a different transport mode plays a part in matched by $55m in applicant funding. Four 300kW high-power charging ports for Auckland’s North Shore that.” Round nine closed on September 14 with Woods notes a number of previously funded successful projects to be announced Two public dual 300kW charging stations will ventures and spin-offs have hit the road in the December. go in Smales Farm. last few months. The successful round eight applicants: 7. Auckland Cohaus (Surrey Crescent Cohaus) $5000 They include Foodstuffs launching the first fully 1. Central Otago District Council $76,500 electric heavy refrigerated truck in the country, Electric chargers for innovative Auckland a NZ Post scheme to assist its contract drivers Electrification of the Central Otago Touring housing car-share project Route. to buy electric delivery vans, and Asthma New Auckland Cohaus (Surrey Crescent Cohaus) Zealand buying EVs for its mobile nurses to Central Otago District Council, in collaboration is a group of individuals and families in a 20- reduce air pollution.