Fleet power from ‘grass to oil’ and now EV for Carr & Haslam

One of New Zealand’s oldest transport companies which once moved goods by horse and cart is marking a special milestone with its very first battery electric truck. 

Carr & Haslam, founded in 1862, has transported a variety of goods over the years and currently specialises in vehicle transportation.

It was recently awarded $140,549 from the Government’s Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund to put a Fuso eCanter into its fleet for deliveries of cars and light EVs into central Auckland. 

The project will trial the all-electric light-duty truck which will also be used for vehicle recovery from breakdowns and enforcement in the proposed Zero Emissions Area. 

The company has always been at the forefront of technology and was one of the first in the country to change the motive power of its fleet from “grass to oil”. 

Its first petrol powered truck was added to the fleet in 1921 by then owner George Carr when New Zealand was just coming out of a pandemic and recovering from World War I. 

A century later, Carr & Haslam is again taking a lead in road transport.

“We are not yet out of the current pandemic, but we are taking a significant step in vehicle motive power,” director Chris Carr says. 

‘We’re delighted that our proposal was accepted for co-funding. 

“We are aware of the growth of Auckland City, and the desire of Auckland Transport to create a low emissions zone around the city centre. 

“Much of the motor industry operates premium vehicle sales and service facilities in this area. This project will allow us to operate a single unit Fuso eCanter in this area, and deliver a growing range of electric vehicles on an electric truck. 

“This electric truck is a first for us but it will not be the last. Within 10 years the heavy vehicle fleet will change, and we want to learn early, so that we can deliver the most from the new technologies coming our way,” Carr says. 

The unit to be used will be supplied by Fuso New Zealand which has begun deliveries of the first mass production EV truck in New Zealand. The unit is built in Portugal, and uses Daimler technology. 

Round 10 of the Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund included 22 projects with a total of $6.5m in funding. Recipients will contribute an additional $12.8m.