Oxygen breathes life into EVs

This story first appeared in the december issue of evtalk CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

Sarah Holden is big on sustainability and walks the talk by driving an Audi e-tron for her business advisory service Oxygen Consulting.

As EV costs come down and the bar for sustainability compliance rises, Holden says the business case for transitioning to EV fleets is quickly becoming a “no brainer”.

“So helping organisations to understand their options around EVs is a growing area of work for Oxygen,” she says.

Establishing Oxygen in 2018, Holden’s job is helping businesses understand their environmental, social and governance risks.

That often involves building a sustainability plan or strategy, establishing targets, project management and managing sustainability initiatives, communicating and reporting sustainability performance, and providing scenario analysis and research on specific sustainability topics.

“We’ve worked with a range of clients in different industries [Westpac, Suncorp, AA Insurance, Spark, Allpress Espresso, Naylor Love, Custom Pak – to name a few].

“I love the variety of clients and industries, as this provides no end of learning and challenge in tailoring a sustainability approach that is right for their business.

“The work is very rewarding because it is very purposeful – you are helping businesses address a bigger picture, environmental and societal challenges that are systemic and far reaching.

I feel very proud telling my kids about what I do.”

Holden is seeing more businesses setting ambitious carbon targets – including looking at transitioning their vehicle fleets to EVs.

That’s particularly as business leaders start addressing climate change, increasing consumer interest in sustainability, new rules such as the Zero Carbon Act, sharpening of the Product Stewardship Act 2011 and commitments such as the Climate Leaders Coalition.

Seeing industry peers and businesses signing up to EV commitments encourages others to follow.

“There is a level of competitiveness on this front , but there is also some wonderful sharing of insights and experiences going on by those who have already led the way in transitioning their fleets to EVs,” Holden says.

Her Audi e-tron supports her business ethic and helps in other ways.

“I’ve had the opportunity to take clients for a test drive to help them better understand how electric vehicles work.”

Audi has overcome many concerns people have around EVs such as range, performance and even their appearance, she believes.

“This is a great family vehicle for us. My son, in particular, is obsessed with the amazing technology in the vehicle,” the 41-year-old says.

“The e-tron is loaded with super intel, such as numerous cameras giving you 360 degree views of the car, driver control systems ensuring you stay in lanes, cruise control, google maps, intel on charge stations, voice activated controls, cameras that replace wing mirrors … and did I mention the Bang and Olufsson sound system? The car practically drives itself and is an absolute pleasure to cruise around in.

“It takes 12 hours to charge up from zero and has a range of around 350km.

I have a charger installed at home, which is normally where I charge it up, but I am also a member of ChargeNet for out of town trips.”
How did Holden get into EVs and sustainability?

After gaining a doctorate in environmental and marine science, her career started at the Sustainable Business Network (SBN) about 20 years ago where she worked with businesses on implementing sustainability initiatives.

“One of the programmes I managed at the time was called ‘GreenFleet’, which was focused on helping businesses reduce the carbon intensity of their fleets.

“Toyota sponsored this programme and in 2005 invited me to join Chris Amon on the Energy Wise Rally, co-driving his Toyota Prius around the North Island for the four-day rally.

“I was initially concerned that a Formula One driver might not be the most appropriate driver for an energy-wise rally.

However, as it turned out, the skills that Chris had honed came into great use in gaining the extra efficiencies that we needed to win the rally.

“Things like draughting behind trucks and going with little or no breaks down the Rimutakas are not skills of the ordinary driver.”

After six years at SBN, Holden moved to sustainability positions at IAG in New Zealand and Australia and then Westpac before setting up her consultancy.

She trained under former US vice president Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, now in its 13th year.

The Climate Reality Leadership Corps training was held this year in Brisbane, with 800 delegates from across the world attending.

“Over the three days of training, Al Gore and a team of world-class scientists, policy-makers, communicators and experts provided the latest science of climate change and gave delegates the necessary skills to inspire action on climate change,” Holden says, covering it in her blog: CLICK HERE

A long-time Auckland resident, Holden has signed up to join the Greenhithe Volunteer Fire Brigade.

She wanted to be a firefighter when she “grew up” but says there’s also an important link to her sustainability focus.

“As climate change sees more frequent and severe weather events, fires and flooding, there is an increasing demand on emergency services to help communities become more resilient and adaptive, and to be there to support communities when an event happens.

“So it is nice to think that through my work I can be the ambulance at the top of the cliff, and through the fire brigade also be there at the bottom.”