Video: EV proves worth in harsh conditions

An incident response team working in remote terrain and dealing with all sorts of call outs swears by an EV it has used for a year.

The Milford Road Alliance is a partnership between Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Downer NZ to ensure the safe management of State Highway 94 between Te Anau and Milford Sound.

Alliance manager Kevin Thompson’s team has been using an EV since May last year in some extreme conditions, including snow, ice, heavy rain and heat.

He says the switch has worked well.

“The team that uses it manages the Homer Tunnel, driving well over 200km each day, to look after incidents and make sure everybody gets through, and then they head back to Te Anau in the evenings.”

The Hyundai Ioniq EV has clocked up more than 76,000km in its first year on the job.

“We are used to four-wheel drives in our fleet, and obviously it’s a big fleet, but when this came out, people gravitated towards it and long story short we’re pretty keen, we’re pretty rapt with it,” says Thompson.

NZTA regional relationships director James Caygill says it is impressive to see the team working in Fiordland National Park take steps to lighten their impact on the surrounding environment, especially when it is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“By choosing to switch to an electric vehicle, the team is not only reducing their carbon emissions, but they are also contributing towards a more holistic, healthy and resilient transport system.”

Thompson says range is a big factor. After a typical day’s driving, drivers return to town with 40 to 50km left on the battery.

“When we tow, and we do, that range can drop quite dramatically and then you start to get a few people nervous about getting home,” he explains.

“It also means we have to think about any incidents that occur during that travel so if this car has to attend to something else, that has to play into a decision.”