Mowing down EV myths

Ignoring any assumptions that EVs are just for the road, a small maintenance team in Twizel is showing the everyday value of EVs no matter who you are, where you live, or what you do.

Meridian building compliance and contracts manager Kelvin Jopson was fed up with the rattly old ride-on diesel lawnmower used at the company’s Twizel hydro station where it frequently produced harmful carbon emissions, and an electric ride-on mower was likely far less disruptive and damaging to the environment.

Jopson applied for funding though Meridian’s Decarbonisation Fund, which puts money back into local communities and groups to help them permanently reduce their carbon emissions. The funding he applied for came from an internal off-shoot of the fund, used to support decarbonisation ideas from Meridian staff.

“This whole project came about because of something I wanted to trial – phasing in an electric mower to replace a diesel mower,” says Jopson.

“I had an idea, I threw it out there, and it has come to fruition.”

The application was approved and within a few months a new mower had been purchased to replace the old 36hp diesel mower, which otherwise wouldn’t been removed from service for many years.

“The old mower… it’s a diesel engine, it vibrates, it rattles, it’s everything that the electric one isn’t,” says Jopson.

“The new mower, being an electric… it doesn’t have universals and gearboxes and things. Much quieter, doesn’t vibrate, great!”

And when the new electric mower needs recharging it can plug directly into Meridian’s Ohau B power station.

The team has found the benefits of switching to a new mower include burning less carbon and being better for the operator.

Maintenance supervisor Korey Middleton says the new EV mower has been an eye-opener – comfortable, enjoyable and bad news for fossil fuels.

“It’s an awesome bit of kit,” he says.

“I don’t need to wear earmuffs or anything. It’s a nice smooth ride – I would never go back to diesel.”

While he’s proud to work for a company that’s committed to sustainable energy and decarbonisation, Jopson says he’s also proud to show how individuals and communities can contribute in their own way to New Zealand’s decarbonisation journey.

Any communities wishing to submit their own ideas for reducing carbon emissions can apply to Meridian’s Decarbonisation Fund.