The 'Electric Election': energy policies, side by side
On one side there's Meridian with its massive hydro scheme and array of renewable generation. And on the other there's Warren Begley with his 'power station' out the back of Formaggio's restaurant in Christchurch. Begley, a philanthropist, environmentalist and successful restaurateur, has fully embraced the Rewiring ethos and electrified as much of his own life as possible. And now he's electrifying a few more lives through a clever car ownership scheme for staff that is powered by solar, batteries and a fair bit of trust.
He has given two of his staff a 'free' Nissan Leaf. It is guaranteed for 12 months by the seller, they pay it back at $100-125 per week, they get free energy at work, and they own a car at the end of it.
"And they've had the pleasure of driving an electric car", which is even more appealing now given how high fuel prices are.
One of the biggest users of energy is personal transport, "so if we can get young people into vehicles to understand 'what is a watt, what is a kilowatt, what is a kilowatt hour', then I think that is incredibly important."
The solar and battery set-up on and in the container can charge two cars at the same time and the 11kWh battery, which charges up in the morning before the staff arrive and is discharged into the car, is essential.
This project has "focused the mind" on how the business uses energy and how it could bring its costs down. He would love to get off LPG and onto New Zealand-made energy (over one third of LPG is imported). That is primarily for environmental reasons, but it's also because LPG is so expensive and inefficient. The big bottles in their metal cage on the side of the building have also been stolen, which is another frustration to add to the list.
Induction has come a long way and it's a great solution for home cooking, but commercial operations have different needs and the options are more limited.
Things are moving fast in that space, however, and he would love to hear from other restaurateurs who have successfully transitioned to commercial induction. Begley is a Bright Spark on a mission, a talker and a doer, so it wouldn't be at all surprising if he managed to do it.
'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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