EV battery import breakthrough

A breakthrough has been achieved in getting new and used EV batteries into New Zealand.

A new process which meets international dangerous goods regulations and provides documentation for some battery types has been established by the Imported Motor Vehicle Industry Association (VIA).

This will allow shipping via sea of mainly Nissan Leaf batteries from Japan, the first container load probably due around the second quarter of next year, VIA technical manager Malcolm Yorston says.

These are expected to be competitively priced, he says.

Yorston says the batteries have to be sourced, checked, packaged according to requirements and will take about three weeks to ship here once a vessel is specified. “So the lead time could be about three months.”

The VIA’s breakthrough will allay the concerns of EV owners and those refurbishing EV batteries here in terms of supply and around battery deterioration and range, he says.
The Nissan Leaf is the most popular used EV import in New Zealand, so the battery import issues around that have been sorted first with other EV batteries to follow.

The lifespan of EV batteries is a key factor in issuing mechanical warranties for EVs, which mean greater confidence for consumers, the VIA says. “While we have been able to achieve a breakthrough, it is still not an easy process as the shipping of lithium-ion batteries is highly regulated.”

Yorston says there’s “a swag of stuff” which has to be done to have the batteries ready for shipping.

He says the news should also encourage EV uptake among the public.

The issues around importing EV batteries were highlighted in the December EVtalk magazine.

Contact Malcolm Yorston on 0800 VIA VIA (0800 842 842) or email technical@via.org.nz for more information.