Mercury and Air New Zealand accelerating EV transition

Mercury and Air New Zealand have joined The Climate Group’s EV100 campaign, bringing together the world’s most influential companies with the aim of helping to shift markets in favour of electric transport by 2030.

Fittingly, it’s Energy Day today at the 23rd United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) in Bonn, Germany.

Earlier this year, Air New Zealand transitioned 100% of its light vehicle fleet to EVs and electrified more than half of its heavy airport service vehicles.
Mercury has transitioned every vehicle in its fleet that can be practically converted to electric (80 out of 114 vehicles). With others, Mercury is also helping bring the electric highway to New Zealand with the peer-to-peer EV charger location app Plugshare.

By joining EV100, the two companies are keen to demonstrate that the electrification of fleets is not just the right thing to do, but that it makes business sense too.

“Now that we’ve converted every vehicle we can to EV, our mission of energy freedom inspires us to support the electrification of transport throughout New Zealand,” Mercury chief executive Fraser Whineray says.

Air New Zealand sustainability head Lisa Daniell says; “Electric transport offers a major solution in cutting millions of tons of greenhouse emissions worldwide. Having led the way in New Zealand it’s exciting to be part of a global initiative committed to making EVs the new normal.”

The two businesses have instigated a landmark corporate initiative, influencing over 30 leading New Zealand organisations and businesses to pledge to transition their fleets to at least 30% electric in the next three years.

The Climate Group chief executive officer Helen Clarkson has championed the role of business in driving a zero-emissions economy.

“It’s fantastic to see continued leadership from companies on climate action,” she says. “Commitments like these are smart business decisions that are shaping our global energy market for the future and helping to accelerate the emissions reductions needed to deliver on the Paris Agreement.”

New Zealand’s political climate is also favourable to these important steps as prime minister Jacinda Ardern has placed climate change at the heart of her government, including a commitment to switch the electricity grid entirely to renewables by 2035.

It’s also shown welcome leadership on EVs by committing to making its own vehicle fleet emissions free, where practicable, by 2025/26.
New Zealand is well prepared, reaching 86% renewable electricity generation in the March quarter of 2017.