The 'Electric Election': energy policies, side by side
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High fuel prices are hurting different demographics in different ways. We've seen stories of low-income households having to choose between food and transport; businesses reliant on diesel that are on the brink as margins shrink; and now, those in rural districts spending "as much as five times more of their household budgets on fuel than city dwellers".
New stats from Dot Loves Data reported on RNZ today show that in April motorists in parts of rural New Zealand were spending "nearly a quarter of their total discretionary spending on fuel".
As director Justin Lester says: "Fuel isn't discretionary spending in rural New Zealand. For many families, it's the cost of getting to work, school, healthcare, and even the supermarket. Rural families are more exposed to the global fuel shock due to longer travel distances and heavy dependence on private vehicles."
In cities, there may be other options available to avoid those costs, like public transport or cycling, and we're all for that if you can do it. But rural folk often need cars and there are also a lot of New Zealanders in cities who have to travel long distances for work.
As our research shows, electricity is the cheapest fuel (and solar is the cheapest delivered electricity) and EVs can save tens of thousands over their lifetime.
They make even more economic sense for those who travel longer distances and, as Mike Casey has proven, they can easily handle the rural jandal.
The Government has provided a $50 per week tax credit for some families to offset high fuel prices and offered increased mileage rates for rural relief teachers, but getting more households off petrol and diesel and onto New Zealand-made energy has to be the long-term goal.
We're calling on the banks to up their game and give New Zealanders what the Aussies get when it comes to EV finance.
And we're also calling on the Government to enable salary sacrifice schemes like those seen in Australia, which could get nurses, teachers or those living rurally into a new EV for around $200 a week, including charging, insurance, tyres and maintenance.
'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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