The 'Electric Election': energy policies, side by side
Across the political spectrum, there's broad agreement that going electric is the right path for New Zealand to take - often for very different reasons. Many of our politicians are also in agreement, as our Political Power series continues to show, and ACT's Andrew Hoggard is already well on his way.
Speaking to Mike Casey at Fieldays, Hoggard says he doesn't have any gas coming to his home on the farm, which mostly runs on electricity (aside from the things that move, like the tractor, cars and side-by-side).
His first experience with e-bikes wasn't great because, he freely admits, they were cheap and couldn't handle life on the farm, but, as Casey says, when you live on the bleeding edge, you know a few things will break.
After a storm knocked out power to the farm for three days a few months back and the generator wasn't powerful enough to get power to the house, he decided to experiment with some cheap solar and rig up a system.
"I realise I should have read some instructions before because I've blown up a few things already."
Now he's investigating solar for the cow shed because the costs have come down so much, there's a shortage of gas that will flow into energy prices and lots of other farmers are saving - and, in some cases, making - money with it.
"It's a good level of resilience. I always prefer having more than one option."
'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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