Auckland electric car sharing starts
People can get a buzz out of driving an electric car provided by Mercury, which now has this trade mark.
Mercury is providing the electric car and Cityhop the car sharing platform in an Auckland first.
Launching in the Newmarket business area later this month, Mercury will provide a Nissan Leaf from its 42 EV fleet, complete with park and charging station, to Cityhop’s growing network of “car-by-the-hour” sharing sites.
It enables people and businesses the chance to experience the benefits of a shared electric vehicle, which uses renewable energy sources.
“Renewable energy generation is Mercury’s and one of New Zealand’s greatest resources and competitive advantages,” Mercury executive Matt Olde says. ”It means that turning to electrified transport options is even more compelling than in many other countries, yet we are in the slow lane when we should be on the electric highway.”
He says Mercury is looking to test and learn through the collaboration.
Plans are considered for expansion within Auckland city and downtown.
“Driving an electric vehicle means driving with a fuel cost of around 30c a litre – powered by 80% renewable resources – versus close to $2 a litre, or more, burning fossil fuels,” Olde says. “One of the most significant ways of reducing our fossil fuel dependence is through changing our driving habits, and there are vehicles available now to make this switch an enjoyable and practical one.”
Cityhop, which began in 2006, has more than 2500 Auckland subscribers to its cars by the hour service, which makes it easier for people to access a car without owning one.
Last year, Mercury led an initiative with Air New Zealand to get corporates to commit to moving 30% of their vehicle fleets to electric vehicles in the next three years.
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