The 'Electric Election': energy policies, side by side
Whether it's the growing number of electric buses, new electric trains for the lower North Island and City Rail Link, or new electric ferries, we love seeing more electric transport options in our big cities. It's also good to see some of our smaller cities like Palmerston North, Timaru and Nelson going electric and, as is almost always the case, the drivers reckon it's better on electrons. At the Electrify Nelson expo, we spoke with one driver Lee about the city's electric buses. And he definitely wouldn't go back to diesel.
The electric buses are smoother, faster and quieter. The old buses were so loud, he says he sometimes wouldn't hear the ding when someone wanted to stop. That's not an issue in the electric version.
It's also more comfortable for the passengers to read and play with their phones.
Lee says it takes about two hours to fully charge the Foton buses and that gives it about 250km of range.
"Each bus we run from Richmond to Nelson about 16 times a day and it comes back with around 20% battery."
At the end of the day, they get plugged in at the depot and it's ready to roll the next morning.
"Much easier."
Nelson wasn't the first place in New Zealand to get electric buses, but it did go big from the start, with 80% of fleet upgraded in 2023. That made it the first primarily electric fleet in the country outside a major urban centre.
As of August this year, there were 17 electric buses on the region's roster.
From a council perspective, more cities are embracing it for the air quality and emissions, but Lee says the price the diesel price was obviously a major consideration. Any council that has invested in electric public transport and reduced their exposure is looking quite prescient now given what's happened to prices this year as a result of the war in the Middle East. And with diesel prices spiking again recently, it's still pretty painful at the pump.
'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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