The 'Electric Election': energy policies, side by side
Around 150,000 new vehicles are purchased every year in New Zealand and around 60% of them are bought by businesses. We reckon a lot more of them should be electric - both for the benefit of those companies but also to seed the second-hand market - and that could be on the cards now because one of the major barriers to fleet EV uptake has been removed.
Following discussions with companies that had large vehicle fleets (including Vittoria Short at ASB), we learned that WorkSafe New Zealand guidance was getting in the way of wider EV adoption because if a work vehicle was being charged at an employee's home, the home was to be considered to be a workplace.
That came with the associated liability and compliance costs for companies and understandably put them off.
We talked with WorkSafe and now Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden has taken action. The guidance has been updated and common sense has prevailed.
The Minister says it best: "Crucially, employee homes are no longer referred to as workplaces in the new guidelines... I expect this to free up the employer-owned EV landscape and give businesses more confidence to choose EVs for their organisations."
Rewiring is keen to keep working with companies to help drive fleet EV uptake. It makes so much sense for profitability, productivity, resilience, emissions and more. So whether it's company cars for getting around town or big rigs for getting around the country, the future is looking increasingly electric.
Read more about the change 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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