The 'Electric Election': energy policies, side by side
Introducing Bright Sparks, a new regular feature where we shine a light on some of the country's electrification heroes. First up, electric maritime innovator Fiona Bycroft.
There's a lot happening in New Zealand's electrification scene, whether it's homeowners investing in solar, batteries and EVs, volunteers setting up community groups in their region, innovators pushing the boundaries in their businesses, or decision makers doing what they can to try and speed up the inevitable transition to electric machines run on local electrons.
We want to celebrate these legends, so we're launching a new section called Bright Sparks where we share the stories of clever, committed New Zealanders who are doing their bit to make our country more electric.
Our inaugural Bright Spark is Fiona Bycroft from Naut, whose company produces systems that can be dropped into boats from 7m to more than 24m long. She and the team recently brought one down from Whangarei to show off at the three-day Electrify Queenstown conference and it was put to the test on Lake Wakatipu.
As she says in the video interview, electric vehicles are now becoming more mainstream, in part because of the early adopters who bought the vehicles and those who advocated for (and built) the infrastrucure: "I want boats to be the same. We're in those early days of tech and so really we're building the market at the moment but I'd hope in ten years time that this is what everyone is using."
We've got a long list of heroes on our list, but we're always looking for more suggestions so get in touch if you think there's someone who you think deserves a shout out.
'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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