'This car can...' Check out our new campaign
You may have heard there's an 'electric election' coming up next year. We've met with a huge range of politicians from right across the spectrum and the ones who pick up what Rewiring is putting down are often those who have already invested in solar, batteries, EVs, heatpumps and induction cooktops and have experienced the benefits first hand. That's why we're kicking off a new series called Political Power, where we talk to some of our decision makers about the decisions they've made in their own lives and how they plan to reduce energy bills for others, reduce emissions and improve our resilience and energy security.
Hipkins invited us to his house in The Hutt recently to check out his set up and talk about the potential for New Zealand customers to play a bigger role in the energy system.
He says he reluctantly gave up his diesel car and went electric, but he wouldn't go back. And while he loved cooking with gas, he's now got an induction cooktop that he loves more.
It can be a mental hurdle to make these shifts, he says, but research suggests that most people who do are very happy with their decision.
The Hipkins house has quite a few humans in it and he got solar and batteries to avoid rising electricity prices. He also saw homes with these technologies fare much better after Cyclone Gabrielle and it made sense to him to consume electricity where it's produced and to do his bit to reduce strain on the grid.
He was able to get a green loan to pay off his 12kW solar and battery system, so he'll attempt to pay it off in five years, but the issue with those loans is that it actually increases energy/finance bills initially and only a small number of people are eligible for them. That's why we need our politicians to support the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme, which will offer long-term low-interest loans for electric upgrades and actually help address the cost of living.
Find out more about the scheme in our in-depth explainer 'the case for energy loans'.
Rewiring Aotearoa is a fiercely independent organisation and we've got a list of candidates from all the parties lined up for this series, but if you know of any MPs who are leading by example, let us know and we can try and showcase them, too.
Some go electric for the savings. Some do it for sustainability. Some do it for security. But the important thing is that they do it. Politicians are no different and, whatever their motivations, we hope the ones who have gone electric will be more likely to amp up the ambition next year and pitch some policies that make it easier for New Zealanders to follow their lead.
Some self-inflicted corporate welfare as two big companies put solar on their roof; the trends are revealing and EVs are on the ascendancy right now as people worry about fuel prices and availability; new report shows potential for businesses to save 64% on operational costs by electrifying the fleet, while Ikea shows how to do it in Australia; the Lightship offers a smooth, powerful road trip; when you buy a petrol car you're basically taking out a $20,000 petrol loan; and Robbie Nichol attempts to explain the strange world of New Zealand's electricity market.
Read moreDownloadThere are a lot more New Zealanders looking for EVs right now as concerns about the price and availability of fuel rises. But many of them are new to the scene. Here are some things to consider to ensure you get the right EV for your needs.
Read moreDownloadThere’s a lot of talk about what electric vehicles can’t do and plenty of myths and misperceptions that might stop people from upgrading. But the people who actually own EVs? They’re overwhelmingly sold and recent research showed that 96% of EV owners would buy another one. That's why we're launching 'This Car Can...' We want to tap into that electric enthusiasm and convince more New Zealanders who may be on the fence to start running on cheap local electrons rather than on expensive imported foreign molecules.
EV owners love all the things their cars can do - and they can do a lot of different things these days. So we're asking them to share a story about their EV experience, upload a photo and tell us what their car can do, or send in a video.
We'll add them to the campaign page and we'll use the best ones on socials and in our advocacy to show how lots of different New Zealanders are benefitting from EVs in their lives.
We've also compiled a whole heap of information on why we love EVs - from the savings to the speed off the mark and everything inbetween.
Get in behind!