Council plugs in to zero-emission motoring

The electric vehicle initiatives announced by transport minister Simon Bridges yesterday have simply served to back up the message that Greater Wellington regional council is trying to send.

As Bridges gave the EV community something to smile about, council chairman Chris Laidlaw was happily jingling the keys to the organisation’s first electric car.

Laidlaw said there is increasing interest in EVs, and the announcement yesterday provided strong support for those with a plug-in vehicle on their radar.

“The measures announced by the Minister send a strong signal to Wellingtonians and fleet owners to move towards a better transport future. We look forward to working with the Government on developing the opportunities outlined today,” he said.

The move to electric vehicles was consistent with the Council’s role in environmental protection.
“41 percent of GWRC’s in-house greenhouse gas emissions come from our vehicle fleet. Given our transport and environmental role, it’s important we lead by example.

“Our new vehicle, a Nissan Leaf, produces 80 percent less emissions than a petrol car,” noted Laidlaw.

“The lower running costs for electric vehicles are also very compelling. As council vehicles come up for replacement, we’ll look to replace those with partially or fully electric models.”

Along Wellington City Council, the GWRC will host an electric vehicle symposium ’The Future Is Electric’ in Wellington on 27 June. More details on the event can be found at TheFutureIsElectric.co.nz