EVs put New Plymouth on road to cleaner future

The first of two EVs in a New Plymouth District Council trial is on the road to help plug the council into a greener, cleaner future.

A new Nissan Leaf has gone into the general NPDC car pool and another EV considered for parks work.

This is the first move in the NPDC’s Climate Action Framework, passed by councillors in December last year, when they agreed that climate change requires an urgent response.

“NPDC is aiming to be a leader with our climate change response, and we are looking at our impact on the planet as part of our new way of working across the organisation,” NPDC strategy group manager Liam Hodgetts says.

“We’re trialling EVs as part of a regular upgrade of our car fleet and we’ll be looking at whether they’re fit for purpose, and how they’ll affect our carbon footprint and fuel bills.”

The Climate Action Framework includes requirements for NPDC to consider the impact of climate change in all its strategies and operations as well as possible projects its 10-Year Plan.

The council will be working with the community, including young people and iwi as well as other Taranaki councils, to consider climate change mitigation and adaption and will be looking to start a public conversation ahead of the 10-Year Plan.