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Queenstown's roads are regularly clogged and, as the region continues to grow, that's only going to get worse. But Whoosh thinks the solution could be right above our heads.
Whoosh, which has been developed by Christchurch engineering company Holmes Solutions, uses a fixed metal guideway for its cablecars rather than ropes and that means they have the unique ability to go around corners.
The autonomous electric pods are self-powered with batteries on board and they use a lot less energy than a vehicle.
There can also be lots of pods, one after the other, with control systems in each one and sensors on the track to keep them at a safe distance. Users will be able to choose their destination and bypass different stations along the way.
Whoosh’s first real-world pilot project just got the green light and is scheduled to kick off in the Remarkables Park in Frankton, but it's hoped the network will eventually extend all the way into Queenstown and further around the region. With plenty of overseas interest in the technology, Whoosh's network might eventually extend around the world.
There is a different but complementary proposal for a bigger gondola system that should further reduce the need for cars and take pressure off the roads in the region, so, when it comes to transport, things might be looking up down south.
Financial commentator Frances Cook uses her own story to show that that an investment in solar and an EV significantly outperforms the stock market and fellow number cruncher Nadine Higgins says that if you do it right, EVs are cheaper to run and own; EV sales have climbed to their highest level since 2022 and are closing in on 2023's numbers and Go Rentals has just invested $2.3 million in some new Tesla Model Y Premiums; the gap between energy costs of diesel vans and utes and electric vans and utes is absolutely massive; solar is also going off right now, with one installer in Otago 448% above their sales target in March; Lightforce has gone back to the Barretts with a new TV ad; Wellington mayor Andrew Little explains its electrification strategy and Hutt City Council shares data showing how its fleet has gone from dirty Toyotas to cleaner EVs; Shenzen in China has electrified its public transport and taxis and that's come with big benefits - and some challenges; and a very simple illustration of the LNG terminal.
Read moreDownloadAs Minister of energy, climate and local government, Simon Watts had a great opportunity to push the country towards cheaper, cleaner and more reliable New Zealand-made energy. And that’s why we laid down a challenge and gave him the ‘MegaWatts’ moniker last year. Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey says he did some good things, like enabling more solar on farms, removing tax on solar exports, fixing onerous solar consenting requirements, putting pressure on the lines companies to pull up their socks, and getting the ball rolling on the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme. "But the LNG import terminal appears to have been a defining issue."
Read moreDownloadAfter ‘crunching the numbers’ and adding in new sources of ‘New Zealand-made energy’ to our equations, CEO Mike Casey has announced that Rewiring Aotearoa will be changing its name to Refuelling Aotearoa. There has been a huge amount of independently verified research showing electrification beats fossil fuels on economics, efficiency, emissions and energy security and that there is a huge opportunity for New Zealand to electrify, but the discovery of an infinite supply of snake oil in New Zealand has changed everything, he says.
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