EV funding charging ahead

This story first appeared in the February issue of EVtalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

More electric vehicles will be on our roads and bus lanes through funding announced by energy and resources minister Dr Megan Woods.

A total of $3.74 million has been provided for 20 projects under the third round of the low emission vehicles contestable fund, administered by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).

“These exciting projects include a 58-tonne fully electric truck to be used by Coda in Hamilton to shuttle Fonterra’s dairy goods to the railway,” Woods says.

The $500,000 grant for freight optimisation firm Coda, in partnership with Zero Emission Vehicles and Bay Dairy, is to design and make an electric truck to run seven days during the peak dairy season.

Using the truck is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 71 tonnes a year.

“Projects like this are vital to show others in the heavy logistics and transport industry that electric trucks are not only viable but have very low running costs,” Woods says.

Tranzit Group gets $397,500 for drive-through fast-charging for electric buses at Wellington Railway Station. Four buses will be able to be charged simultaneously.
Tranzit is introducing 10 electric buses in central Wellington around mid-year, with 22 to follow over three years. The fast-charging will allow Tranzit to run electric buses on six additional routes.

Woods says $1.7m of the funding will help fill gaps in the country’s charging infrastructure. Funding is also going towards tourism opportunities such as electric campervans.

Tourism Holdings receives $402,000 to convert an electric van into a campervan, invest in charging equipment at holiday parks and develop itineraries with charging stations at 100km intervals.
The group plans to have 20 electric campervans available within a year.

Also on the van front, the Zealandia Karori Sanctuary Trust gets $118,137 to replace diesel buses with electric shuttles that will run between the sanctuary and Wellington city centre 364 days a year.

Kaitake Farm has been granted $11,693 to buy an electric van to deliver organic vegetables in Taranaki.

EV consulting and project management services company Evincible receives $263,450 for an electric courtesy car and a charging station associated with 25 automotive workshops, giving customers a chance to test drive an EV.

Flip the Fleet will put its $88,583 grant towards efficiencies in its service, including making it easier for people to sign up and contribute.
The Kerikeri Retirement Village will buy four EVs for residents and staff use, plus a charger, with its $67,250 grant.

And Auckland’s Ohomairangi Trust gets $75,000 towards buying six EVs for teachers, therapists and specialists to visit whanau.

“The projects we are funding show there’s an EV for almost every job or use in New Zealand, be it delivering fruit and veg or taking a holiday,” Woods says.
A Motor Industry Training Organisation (MITO) project to develop a qualifications framework for mechanics working on EVs was also announced.

MITO’s $95,000 grant means having qualified EV technicians will help improve confidence in correct servicing, maintenance and repairs. There is now no NZQA-registered qualification or national standard for the work.
Charging infrastructure also gets a massive boost.

Foodstuffs North Island receives $427,937 for fast-chargers at New World Havelock North, Kawerau, Levin, Matamata, Mt Maunganui, Morrinsville, Ohakune, Stratford, Taihape, Tokoroa, Waihi, Four Square National Park, Opononi, Pirongia and Pak ‘n Save Kaitaia.
In the South Island it gets $399,575 for fast-chargers at New World Gore, Hokitika, Kaikoura, Mosgiel, Motueka, Nelson, Temuka, Westport, Four Square Havelock, Karamea, Reefton, Spring Creek, Pak ‘n Save Blenheim and Queenstown.

Twenty golf courses nationwide will be able to install medium speed charging stations, thanks to a $249,975 grant to NZ Golf. The project, which involves Chargemaster NZ, will make the stations available to the public as well as members.

About 100 cloud-connected, metered medium charging units will be placed at King Country motels and hotels to help with tourism. They will come under a $215,880 grant to community owned electricity distribution firm The Lines Company.

A 50kW DC fast-charging station in Hamilton and five slow-charging stations in association with Countdown supermarkets in the Waikato will result from a $160,000 grant to electricity distributor WEL Networks.

Stratford and South Taranaki councils are combining with ChargeNet to put three fast-chargers along SH3 and SH45.

The stations in Stratford, Opunake and Waverley will create a charging network around Mt Taranaki under a $96,000 grant to the South Taranaki District Council.
Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, based in East Tamaki, Auckland, gets $72,500 to install 74 EV slow-chargers and two medium speed DC chargers to encourage staff to buy EVs. The chargers will also be available to visitors.
Wilson Parking NZ receives $60,622 to install 34 slow-charging stations at its sites, capable of charging 46 EVs at a time. Most of the sites are in Auckland, with some in Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

Counties Power is putting a 50kWh DC fast charger in Waiuku, south-west of Auckland, using its $30,000 grant for the purpose.

Cloudy Bay Vineyards in Blenheim is planning four slow EV charging stations available to the public on site with its $10,000 grant. The vineyard says the EV technology will be seen by more than 30,000 visitors every year.

The low emission vehicles contestable fund is one of a range of initiatives in the Government’s Electric Vehicles Programme, which has a target of doubling the numbers of EVs every year to reach 64,000 by the end of 2021.
The fund offers up to 50% funding towards projects. Applicants must match or exceed the amounts granted. For this round, recipients are contributing $4.3m.

Visit www.eeca.govt.nz for more information about the fund or www.electricvehicles.govt.nz for general information.