Auckland Transport fleet adds 20 EVs

Twenty Hyundai Ioniq electric vehicles have joined Auckland Transport’s fleet.

The EV cost and the associated charging infrastructure is nearly $1.2 million.

Auckland mayor Phil Goff says Auckland and New Zealand needs to lead by example in tackling climate change.

“Auckland Transport’s purchase of EVs is the largest of its type in New Zealand,” he says. “It sends a clear signal that our city is serious about reducing emissions and protecting our environment.”

Transport accounts for 40% of Auckland city’s emissions, with the EV purchase expected to help reduce emissions from AT’s current fleet by 11% (65,662kg of CO2).

“I drive a fully electric Hyundai Ioniq and want the council to lead the way on reducing transport emissions by finding efficiencies, shrinking our fleet numbers and progressively replacing petrol and diesel vehicles with EVs,” Goff says.

“AT’s target of an emissions free fleet contributes to my recent zero-emissions target for our bus network and our city centre by 2025.”

Two electric buses will also be trialled on inner city routes from March.

Goff signed the C40 Fossil-Fuel-Free Streets Declaration with 11 other mayors late last year, pledging to procure only zero-emission buses from 2025 and ensure that a major city area is zero emissions by 2030.

“Setting ambitious zero-emission targets is the only way we will make a serious impact on reducing our carbon emissions and contributing to the Paris Accord of 2015,” Goff says.

AT chief financial officer Richard Morris says adding 20 EVs is a great investment for AT and also shows leadership on sustainable transport options.

The Auckland Plan aims to halve emissions by 2050. AT’s own sustainability framework goes even further with the aim of having an emissions-free fleet from 2025.

Morris says the first step to achieve this target has been to reduce the size of AT’s vehicle fleet by 15%. The second is to reduce emissions of the remaining fleet vehicles and invest in fully-electric cars.

Hyundai Ioniqs are part of the new faster, stronger EV generation with a range of more than 200km. The multi-award winning fully electric car takes around four and a half hours to fully charge, or an 85% fast-charge option taking 25 minutes.

AT is already working with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), to encourage the further uptake of EVs across Auckland by installing 60 electric charging points in AT’s off-street car parks, prioritising parking and infrastructure for EVs in parking buildings, working with the Auckland Council on parking and infrastructure for EVs in new developments and trialling two smart poles, which charge electric vehicles.

It is also replacing the region’s high-pressure sodium streetlights with 110,000 energy efficient LEDs by 2025, expected to save $32 million over their 20-year lifespan.