The 'Electric Election': energy policies, side by side
Last week we had an off-grid MP as part of our Political Power series. That was pretty rare, but this week we've got something even rarer: an MP who's flown an electric airplane. Before he became the National MP for Ōtaki, Tim Costley MP was a helicopter pilot and spent 23 years in the Air Force. He flew in an electric aircraft a couple of years ago as it was travelling around New Zealand and "it was phenomenal".
While helicopters and jets aren't going to be electrified anytime soon, there is some innovation happening at the smaller, shorter end of aviation, he says, and he reckons there could be an opportunity for Kāpiti to be an electric hub where passengers could take zero-emissions flights across the Cook Strait or up to Taranaki.
Back on land, he still gets the buzz of rapid acceleration in his fully electric Kia Niro, which he bought a couple of years ago with the help of a green loan.
He's not a car guy, but he loves his EV and he has absolutely no range anxiety during his trips to and from Wellington or around his sizeable constituency.
"I wouldn't go back," he says. " ... I love the performance, I love seeing the battery charge when you go down hill."
And he also loves running it down to the last kilometre just as a challenge.
Even with RUCs, which will eventually be placed on all vehicles, he says the finances still stack up for electrons over fuel, especially as he sets a time to charge overnight on lower rates.
Unless you're a farmer with a tank, he reckons an EV is also far more convenient.
His next step is to go solar and look at a battery but the numbers need to work. He says no-one's home in the middle of the day, but with three teenage girls in the house, there will likely be some major savings to be made by heating the water during the solar window and using it to charge the car when you can.
As Mike Casey says, the more children you have and the more electricity a household uses, the better and faster solar generally pays itself off.
See all the Political Power interviews from across the spectrum here.
'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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