EV Salary Boost: it's a pay rise you can drive!
The conflict in Iran and resulting energy crisis marks a permanent shift for New Zealand’s reliance on imported fossil fuels, an electrification advocate says.
Kiwibank Sustainable Business Leader of the Year 2026 and chief executive of Rewiring Aotearoa Mike Casey tells Q+A New Zealanders’ interest in electric alternatives have soared in the past few weeks as the price of fuel continues to ratchet up.
Last week was the biggest week for electric vehicle sales since the week before the Clean Car Discount was scrapped in 2023.
Down on Casey’s fully-electric cherry orchard in Central Otago, his neighbour has been talking about borrowing his electric tractor if the diesel price continues to rise.
“I think more and more New Zealanders are starting to realise the future of everything is in New Zealand-made energy,” he said.
Casey said New Zealand is home to 10 million machines that are reliant on imported fossil fuels, and not all of them are ready to make the change to electricity.
Over the past few years, our research has shown the many benefits of electrifying our homes, farms and the country as a whole. Our latest report, written with te Pou Take Āhuarangi of National Iwi Chairs Forum, shows the many benefits of electrifying our marae.
Read moreDownloadBillions of dollars will be saved through the electrification of Canterbury and other South Island regions, a new study has found. By 2040, Canterbury households could collectively save $9.6 billion on energy bills – including upfront costs – if 80% of them converted to solar power, batteries and all-electric appliances, according to Rewiring Aotearoa, a non-partisan electrification group. The power bill for each of those households would be about $2500 a year lower than if they continued buying electricity from the grid, the Electrify Canterbury study found.
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