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"Don't wait. Start small, but get into it." Evan Maehl, CEO of Waste Management NZ, certainly hasn't waited when it comes to electrification.
Evan Maehl, CEO of Waste Management NZ, certainly hasn't waited.
The company was an early adopter of electric rubbish trucks, first getting them retrofitted overseas, then retrofitting them its own workshop.
Last year, with over 50 electric rubbish trucks in its fleet, it celebrated reaching the two million electric kilometre mark and, as the shift to electric has gathered pace, the are now able to buy electric trucks directly from manufacturers like Volvo.
In addition to the emissions savings, they're much cheaper to run than diesel trucks (and those savings help offset the higher upfront costs), the drivers (and residents) like them because they're quieter and smoother, and the waste they collect can even be turned into electricity that can charge the trucks the next day.
Sounds pretty bright to us.
High fuel prices are hurting different demographics in different ways. We've seen stories of low-income households having to choose between food and transport; businesses reliant on diesel that are on the brink as margins shrink; and now, those in rural districts spending "as much as five times more of their household budgets on fuel than city dwellers".
Paul Spain heads to Central Otago to meet Mike Casey at Electric Cherries, exploring what happens when tech thinking meets hands‑on farming. Mike shares his journey from scaling tech startups in Sydney to creating New Zealand’s first fully electric cherry orchard, powered by onsite solar to reduce energy costs and build long‑term resilience. The conversation dives into the real economics of electrification, smart infrastructure choices, and how practical technology decisions can unlock productivity, sustainability, and future growth for New Zealand businesses.
Read moreDownloadThe OECD has just released its 2026 report on New Zealand's economy. And when it comes to energy, it basically gave us a 'must try harder' grade. On the proposed LNG terminal - which, remarkably, is still not dead yet despite all evidence suggesting it should be - the OECD said, as we have said, that it would not serve its intended function of lowering prices.
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