Orion impressed with PHEVs

This story first appeared in the May issue of EVTalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

Canterbury-based electricity company Orion has embraced electric vehicle (EV) technology for a very specific purpose.

It has 15 Mitsubishi Outlanders Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) in its fleet that are primarily used by its engineers.

“It’s not just a few EVs for office staff. Our PHEVs are used in the field by engineers in tough conditions. We’re embracing it in the core of the business,” Orion chief executive Rob Jamieson says.

“We’re getting feedback from core staff that’s been entirely positive. The Outlanders are reliable and drive well.”
The vehicles are used in a range of environments, he says.

“On a good day they will be out at work sites. We also have to have vehicles capable of dealing with rugged terrain.
“When things turn against us with the weather, having that durability
is great. We can respond under difficult circumstances.”

Jamieson says the team got used to working under particularly difficult conditions following all the earthquakes the region has experienced.

“Our experience after the earthquakes is we all become emergency workers.

“There’s not a line between who responds in emergencies and who doesn’t.”
Jamieson says generally the PHEVs stick to electric mode for day-to-day use.
“Even though they only have a 50km range, most journeys are less than
that distance.”

However, it is good to have the flexibility of switching over to petrol if needed, he says.
Additionally, Orion has a Nissan Leaf pool car that can be used by office-based staff.

Combined with the Outlanders, that means 16 vehicles or 22% of the fleet is electric, out of about 70 vehicles.
“We’ve set an initial target by 2019 of getting to well over 30%.”

Along with their more practical uses, Jamieson says the vehicles are fantastic for getting EVs into the public arena.

“It’s about being aware of EVs and noticing them around the town. We’re making EVs more visible on the road.
“We’ve got about 90% renewable energy in New Zealand, but 0% renewable oil.

EVs also make other parts of Orion’s business more accessible to the public, he says.
“A lot of what we do is very technical.

“EVs are a way to explain a lot of concepts, like the future of battery technology or if everyone is charging at the same time, how we need to think about that.”

Jamieson says the company’s uptake of EVs has been so successful, he would encourage other businesses to consider bringing new models into their fleets.

“We want to give other fleet managers the confidence to go electric.

“There’s quite a few different models about to appear. In 2018 the models will have even more range.”
And there’s no lack of charging infrastructure, with 18 EV chargers out the front of Orion’s Christchurch head office that are also available for public use during office hours.

“It’s more than symbolism, being out the front of the building,” Jamieson says.

Orion has also installed chargers around its coverage area, which includes Christchurch and central Canterbury.
More chargers are planned, but Jamieson says the key issue is getting access to sites.