Nelson firm goes electric

Nelson firm Nelmac is switching its vehicle fleet to electrics and hybrids.

The New Zealand-owned company employing more than 260 in providing asset maintenance services will soon have eight battery electric vehicles (BEVs) to add to its Nissan e-NV200 electric van and several hybrids in a 170-vehicle fleet.

It has hybrids in place of several utes after reviewing whether cars would be better suited than utes in some cases, Stuff reports.

Chief executive Jane Sheard oversaw a fleet review after taking the job a year ago, the company “passionate about enhancing and protecting natural environments”.

It’s even branded two Nelmac hybrid vehicles with kea imagery and the Kea Conservation Trust logo to showcase its three-year partnership with the trust supporting kea recovery.

Sheard says Nelmac is switching its internal combustion engine (ICE) cars and small vehicles for EVs to support its sustainability drive.

But EVs to replace bigger machines aren’t readily available yet, so Nelmac is keen to see the technology reach the stage where it can replace vehicles with electric utes, trucks and diggers.

Staff are adapting to driving and charging EVs, the company providing charging stations at its main depots and, in some instances, helping employees with home charging.

Nelmac has also recently received a gold Enviro-Mark award for its sustainability efforts.