Let electric cars use bus lanes says supplier

A supplier of charging points for electric vehicles reckons that Auckland Council should let drivers of plug-in hybrid and full electric vehicles have access to bus and high occupancy vehicle lanes as a reward for driving them.

In a submission to Auckland Council on its energy resilience and low-carbon action plan, electric vehicle charging point supplier Mark Yates suggests that allowing plug-in electric cars in such lanes will encourage more to take advantage of renewable power generation.

Yates told The Herald the vehicles could be given different coloured registration plates to allow traffic enforcement officers to easily identify the electric vehicles as well as raise their public profile.

However, according to The Herald, Yates says the exemption should be lifted once the electric fleet grew in numbers as it should not be allowed to clog up the bus lanes.

Yates submission also called for free parking and more charging points for electric vehicles, ideas which are supported by Auckland Council environment, climate change, and natural heritage committee chair Wayne Walker.

However, Walker says allowing electric vehicles into bus lanes might be “tricky” because of a planned increase in the frequency of bus services.

Auckland Transport says bus and high-occupancy lanes were “about reducing congestion on our roads.”

Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand head of sales and marketing strategy Daniel Cook says the idea of letting EVs use a bus lane sounds like a nice initiative, but he is not sure how practical it would be in practise.

“Any council initiative to promote the adoption of electric vehicles is supported by us, provided it is done in a safe and practical manner.” he says.