The 'Electric Election': energy policies, side by side
David Gatward-Ferguson realised early that electric vehicles were a good fit for his tour business, Nomad Safaris.
David Gatward-Ferguson realised early that electric vehicles were a good fit for his tour business, Nomad Safaris.
He initially invested in a 4WD Tesa Model-X and took it out on the tough trails of Central Otago. The performance was great and the maintenance costs were much lower than his other vehicles.
Then, with the help of EECA, he invested in a 24 seater electric bus, which is largely used to transport customers doing the Routeburn to and from Queenstown and Glenorchy.
As he says, if you're heading into the great New Zealand outdoors, a loud, smelly diesel bus is pretty contradictory. And from a business perspective, diesel buses are also more expensive to operate.
Going early on any technology comes with risks, but people like Gatward-Ferguson are crucial to prove that it's possible and profitable and he's no doubt inspired many other operators in the Central Otago region to follow suit and upgrade their vehicles to electric.
'Twas the night before Chris-mas, and all through the house, all the voters were stirring, the pundits showing their nous … the election will soon be over, but the energy crisis won't, so we'll be there to pester whoever is in power about the need to run more of the economy on New Zealand-made energy; can Ethiopia's aggressive push for EVs work and how does New Zealand compare in terms of adoption rates?; a two-way charging trial from Genesis shows promise in Auckland, but there's still a way to go before it's mainstream; small electric vehicles are often overlooked when it comes to electrifying transport, but it's hard to miss this weird French one; a solar-powered cafe (and some electric coffee); and we endorse the political vandalism of Keith of All Trades.
Read moreDownloadPoliticians are being urged to adopt stronger electric vehicle incentives ahead of the election. Climate and energy advocacy group Rewiring Aotearoa is arguing that EVs are one of the most effective long-term solutions for rising transport and energy costs. They're promoting an EV Salary Boost proposal, which would allow workers to access EVs through pre-tax salary arrangements – similarly to already existing schemes in the UK and Australia. Policy and Government Relations Spokesperson Ngaio Neumegen told Kerre Woodham that even with the rising cost of power, it's still cheaper to run an EV than a car running on imported fuel.
A proposal that would let New Zealanders lease an electric car using their before-tax pay has not won a commitment from either National or Labour, with the 7 November election days away. Under the EV Salary Boost, put forward by Rewiring Aotearoa and Drive Electric, an employee would lease a new or used EV for three to five years. The payments would come out of their pay before tax, lowering the cost of running the car. The idea is based on Australia’s novated leasing system, though the groups say they are not proposing a direct copy.
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