Drive Electric appointments and new lifetime member

EV advocate Drive Electric has appointed three new board members at its recent annual general meeting and awarded former member Ewan Morris a life membership.

ABB NZ country managing director Morris joins three other lifetime members, Rob McEwen, Soichiro Fukutake, and Hideaki Fukutake.

The three new board members are ChargeNet chief operating officer Martin Miles, independent Richard Dellabarca, and ABB NZ electrification business smart power and buildings vice president Duncan Baker.

EO Charging APAC managing director Sam Steele has been appointed as an observer on the board.

“I would like to especially acknowledge Ewan for his contribution to the board over a period of six years,” says Drive Electric chair Mark Gilbert.

“As a board member, Ewan has brought specialist knowledge around infrastructure and charging and also chaired our Standards Working Group. Ewan was a dedicated, active, and high-value board member.”

In welcoming the new board members, Gilbert says Drive Electric has had record membership growth during the past year.

“This is a very exciting time for the organisation as e-mobility takes hold in the market.”

Gilbert adds the calibre of nominees for the board demonstrates the influence of Drive Electric and the impact it is having on EV uptake in New Zealand.

“The new directors join the board with skills from right across the e-mobility ecosystem. In particular they bring real strength in the area of private and public charging, which is our priority area of focus over the coming couple of years.”

They join the current board which includes Gilbert, Greenhouse Capital director Duncan Stewart, Baker Tilly Staples Rodway business advisory services director Annette Azuma, Still chief investment officer Matthew Bailey, Meridian Energy emerging markets and innovation lead Tim Calder, PowerCo business development general manager Eric Pellicer, Audi NZ general manager Dean Sheed, Zilch co-founder and director Kirsten Corson and FleetPartners Pan Tasman fleet director Dennis Kelly.