The 'Electric Election': energy policies, side by side
"We've lost the cops!" In our next instalment of Political Power, we managed to get David Seymour, deputy prime minister and leader of the Act Party, behind the wheel of a Zeekr X when he was in Queenstown recently. As is often the case when people take a new EV for a spin, there was much chortling as he gave it heaps up the Remarkables ski field road - and, if we take him at his word, we might even see him give Mike Casey's tractor heaps up Parliament steps in the future.
The Act Party is a big fan of efficiency. And Seymour, the first electrical engineer in Parliament, knows all about the efficiency of electric machines. That is extending into his home life.
For a busy man like him, it's important to be able to cook his bacon rapidly and induction certainly does that. He also says "heat pumps are a modern miracle" and he even has a heat pump drier.
His favourite electric thing is his e-bike, which he paid $2,600 for in 2016 and has got a huge amount of value out of. He was also given a plug-in hybrid and, while he lives beside a volcano and has a few big trees nearby, Casey has promised to do the numbers on solar for his place.
Seymour says there are people who say you're woke if you use these kinds of technologies, but he has always been in favour of technology and a believer in the "if it works, do it" theory.
"The more technology you have, the better life you can live ... We should want this."
What he doesn't like is people who buy something to make a statement, like Tesla owners who put an anti-Elon sticker on the back.
"That's woke virtue signalling."
When he was a kid, he wanted a remote control airplane but they needed a petrol engine back then. The batteries were too heavy and didn't hold enough energy. Now every second kid has got a drone because batteries are better, cheaper, lighter and can hold more energy. And that's what is happening with all these other electric technologies, too.
While Seymour isn't into subsidies and picking winners, he is a fan of cutting red tape.
"So why is it so much easier to put solar on the roof in Australia than it is here?"
Act's Brooke van Velden, who Seymour says is his greatest political achievement, recently removed some red tape when WorkSafe guidance was changed so work EVs can be charged at home.
So will we see a Zeekr with his face on it as we head into the election campaign?
"As long as president Xi isn't listening, then yeah, sure!"
'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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