Electric Vehicles Leadership Group confirmed

Transport minister Simon Bridges has today announced a panel from across the automotive and government sectors for the Electric Vehicles (EVs) Leadership Group.

“The Leadership Group will champion this programme and proactively promote the 14 wide-ranging initiatives we announced in May,” Bridges says. “It will share information between central and local government and industry, and provide feedback to test ideas and decisions before they are put into practice.”

“The 10 members of the group were selected for leadership they’ve shown in relation to electric vehicles, their potential to contribute to programme activities, and their ability to influence and represent the views of their sector,” he explains.

“I’m confident that this carefully selected group of corporate and government managers will bring their sectors together, and are ideally placed to carry out their role in this fast-moving programme.”

The group will be chaired by secretary for transport and Ministry of Transport chief executive Peter Mersi.

The panel members are:

• Mike Underhill, chief executive, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA)
• Abbie Reynolds, executive director, Sustainable Business Council
• Fraser Whineray, chief executive, Mercury NZ Limited
• Mark Gilbert, former BMW New Zealand managing director, chair of EV group Drive Electric and Auckland Transport board member
• Gary Nalder, director asset finance, Westpac, and board member, Drive Electric
• David Crawford, chief executive, Motor Industry Association
• Simon Mackenzie, chief executive, Vector Limited
• Mike Noon, general manager Motoring Affairs, AA
• David Vinsen, chief executive, Imported Motor Vehicle Industry Association