EECA funding for 22 low emission projects

A community electric bike and car share scheme, additional EV charging stations, five hydrogen trucks and a demonstration electric truck are among projects to get government co-funding.

Approval for 22 new low-emission transport projects under the low emission vehicles contestable fund (LEVCF) administered by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) have been announced by energy and resources minister Dr Megan Woods in a briefing at Johnsonville Waitohi Community Centre in Wellington.

Projects include the Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust’s Christchurch initiative to give its tenants the opportunity to share rather than own transport through secure e-bike storage for a community bike share for its tenants (the trust is funding the bikes itself), and two secondhand Nissan Leafs for a community car share scheme.

Fuso and Hyundai Motors New Zealand secured funding for both electric and hydrogen demonstration trucks respectively.

Hyundai will purchase and deploy five zero emission hydrogen fuel cell electric (FCEV) trucks.

Fuso will buy and fit out a 100% electric truck for extended test drives by potential customers.

In a separate project, Fuso will carry out a one-year e-truck trial using five electric trucks and chargers with major transport companies in the proposed Auckland Transport Queen Valley Zero Emissions Area.

The fund will contribute $3.7 million to the projects, with the 22 recipients contributing a total $9.4 million.

“The Climate Change Commission’s recently-released draft report rightly points out how crucial reducing transport emissions is to meeting our climate change goals. It shows we are on the right track by supporting the uptake of cleaner technologies,” Woods says.

She notes the spread of projects shows the fund’s reach across the transport sector.

“Demonstrating and proving the potential for electric and hydrogen heavy vehicles is important, as heavy freight has an outsized impact on transport emissions,” Woods adds.

“At the same time, we need to enable people to get around, and the Ōtautahi Trust projects will demonstrate a community and people-first approach that shows you can reduce the size of the fleet, replace it with low or zero-emissions options, and still have freedom of movement.”

Woods also notes the continued expansion of the public charging network, with another 11 public chargers (many high-capacity fast chargers with multiple charging ports) co-funded in Round Nine.

The latest funding will allow ChargeNet NZ to deliver further 300kW chargers at Rotorua, Tauranga and Dunedin after it opened a pair of dual 300kW Hyperchargers at Bombay south of Auckland.

The LEVCF has co-funded more than 600 public EV chargers, of which more than 450 are operational.

“The growing charging network should give New Zealand households and businesses thinking of purchasing EVs the confidence to do so, in the knowledge the infrastructure is increasingly available, thanks in large part to the fund,” Woods says.

Since the fund began, EECA has committed $29.4m in government funding to 180 projects, matched by $62m in applicant funding.

Round 10 will open in March/April 2021 with nearly $3m in funding.