The case for energy loans: read our latest explainer
For households, upgrading to an electric vehicle is likely to save you money over the long term (and the proposed RUCs scheme will make EVs even more economically appealing). It is also likely to have the biggest impact on your emissions. Similar benefits apply to businesses and it makes increasingly good sense as more electric machines become available and the upfront costs drop further. All these electric machines set to be put to use in New Zealand will increase demand for electricity and put pressure on our existing network. And that's where a company like Thundergrid comes in.
As CEO Johnny Parker says, it tests about 50 different brands of chargers - from AC chargers for fleet managers and employee home charging to DC chargers built for heavy transport - and helps design, install and monitor them.
Smart chargers are able to dial power use up or down automatically when required and some of the newer models can even recognise individual cars with a 'handshake', so there's no need for RFID fobs.
Chargers that can also send power from the car's big battery back to the home or the grid are becoming more widely available in New Zealand and more are on their way. There are no regulatory or system issues standing in the way of this; we just need all the manufacturers to allow that capability and when our cars can play a role in the energy system, that changes the calculations.
As Parker says: "People have got batteries in their home and batteries in their car and it creates a lot more stability out there."
If you know of anyone who deserves to be featured on our weekly Bright Sparks segment, get in touch.
Rewiring Aotearoa is in favour of universal Road User Charges as we believe it will address an artificial market distortion for vehicles that is not in New Zealand’s economic, fuel security, or resilience interests. Here's what we told the Select Committee.
Read moreDownloadThe story of Uruguay's renewable push and why it's relevant here; EVs reach a tipping point in the EU, but they're growing in developing nations, too; Tauranga Crossing and Endless Energy go vertical with a new solar install; new research shows panels keep on trucking far past their warranty periods; and if you need a hand getting out on the waves, how about getting your own electric towing machine.
Read moreDownloadOur Political Power series aims to show that going electric is good for everyone, no matter where you sit on the political sprectrum. Whether you're looking to lower costs, reduce emissions or increase resilience, it increasingly makes sense at an individual, community and country level and ACT's Todd Stephenson, who bought an electric Jeep around one year ago and built his new home in Queenstown to run on electrons, is a good example of that.
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