Key EV projects get support

Several innovative electric vehicle projects are among 31 getting a share of $11 million from the Government’s low emission vehicles contestable fund.

A new ORIX NZ EVi initiative receives $135,451 co-funding towards its programme offering businesses with 16 or more lease vehicles on its sole supply agreement the chance to upgrade one fleet vehicle to a selected EV at the same rate as an internal combustion engine (ICE) equivalent.

ORIX will install a charging unit at the business free and provide opening charging credit.

The aim is to remove many of the barriers businesses face when attempting to incorporate an EV into their fleet, ORIX NZ says.

“By removing the additional cost of an electric vehicle, the cost of the charging unit and

by handling most of the admin, ORIX helps eliminate these barriers,” the company says.

“This will integrate electric vehicles into a wider range of businesses over a three-year period, giving them the opportunity to experience and fully evaluate an electric vehicle for their organisation.”

Vehicle Testing New Zealand (VTNZ) gets $26,000 to develop a reliable and affordable method for testing EV battery condition and also EV charging infrastructure.

The test would provide buyers of a second-hand EV with confidence in battery condition, life expectancy, charging ability and safety.

Ports of Auckland Ltd (POAL) gets $250,000 towards a hydrogen fuel demonstration project.

That will help fund a hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) bus and up to three HFC cars (about 14% of the estimated cost) as part of a plan to build a hydrogen fuel production and refuelling plant.

POAL hydrogen project manager Rosie Mercer says collaboration is key to the success of such a project, which is breaking new ground to stem climate change. “That is why we’re working with the Auckland Council, Auckland Transport (AT), KiwiRail and Arup.”

AT bus services manager Darek Koper says hydrogen ties into its Low Emission Bus Roadmap and commitment to clean technology, adding it could also power harbour ferries.

Foodstuffs New Zealand gets nearly $1 million in total for three projects.

One is to add four electric trucks to its South Island fleet on delivery routes (mainly Canterbury), demonstrating environmental and financial benefits ($379,600).

The other two grants of $416,000 and $154,240 go to the installation of seven 50kW and five 25kW public fast chargers at about 12 North Island Pak’nSave and New World stores and four 50kW chargers at South Island supermarkets respectively. ChargeNet NZ is a partner.

Funding for heavy EVs comes with Alsco NZ getting $50,126 for a New Zealand first intercity EV freighter trial in the Rotorua/Tauranga/Taupo area until July 2020.

TR Group receives $350,000 to supply three curtainsider freight trucks for hire and related charging.

PPCS will buy an electric rubbish truck thanks to its $178,550 funding, covering about 4000 Wellington homes, as a step towards replacing 70% of the company’s 60 vehicles with electric by 2025.

ContainerCo gets $99,700 towards a heavy EV at Auckland and Tauranga logistics terminals to move shipping containers