New Plymouth mayor chooses an EV

Enhancing the natural environment is key to New Plymouth District Council, and the district’s new mayor is leading by example.

Mayor Neil Holdom has selected a Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) as his mayoral vehicle, and council has an electric fleet as part of its ‘Let’s Go’ education initiative (The Fresh Air Challenge), which has helped support more than 87,000 sustainable trips in September.

In March this year, Holdom petitioned the previous council to install the district’s first electric vehicle (EV) charging station on Courtenay St. The two-car park station officially powered up on March 18.

Then recently Holdom took possession of the $50,000 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. “I have three kids to drop to school each day and an active sporting life. I wanted to choose a vehicle that sends a message that you can think globally, act locally, make a difference to the environment and still get out there do the things you want to do, in the lifestyle capital of New Zealand.”

Holdom says his daily commute is approximately a 36km round trip and the Outlander allows him to do that within the vehicle’s 50km pure electric range.

Holdom adds that he will be making the PHEV available to fellow councillors to try, to showcase the technology and to help people understand that what was once considered science fiction is now a reality.

Since 2009 the council has used EVs as part of its fleet, which currently includes a forklift at the New Plymouth Wastewater Treatment Plant, an eight-seater cart and a working vehicle in Pukekura Park, and e-bikes for staff.

“New Plymouth District Council recently demonstrated its commitment to environmental excellence as part of its broader digital strategy with the shift to paperless council meetings, saving hundreds of kilograms of paper and thousands of ratepayers’ dollars,” points out Holdom.

Council’s ‘Let’s Go’ programme encourages people to look at their transport options, with a focus on walking, riding and busing. During the ‘Fresh Air Challenge’, a sustainable travel month in September, 87,000 trips were logged on the council’s website, removing more than 1100 vehicles from the roads every day.

This commitment to the council’s electric fleet programme has won council Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority awards in 2012 and 2014.

“This vehicle is just another small step but when those steps are all added up, they start to make a real difference to our collective future,” says Holdom.