Waikato uni replacing much of fleet with EVs 

The University of Waikato is replacing more than half its existing vehicle fleet with EVs to reduce emissions.

The major upgrade being rolled out over the next few months is expected to reduce scope one emissions by 183 tonnes annually.

Sustainability had been a focus during the last 18 months and moving to EVs is a natural next step, says University of Waikato chief operating officer Jim Mercer.

“We’ve been working on a range of sustainability initiatives, including the launch of the world’s first Bachelor of Climate Change, replacing two natural gas boilers with low-emission alternatives, a sizeable on-campus project to replace existing lighting with sustainable LEDs, installing solar arrays on a number of buildings, and various research initiatives designed to support a sustainable future for New Zealand and the world.” 

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) public sector portfolio manager Paul Bull says the University of Waikato is setting a great example.

 “The team is demonstrating how you can incorporate EVs into a fleet while also finding other, innovative ways to get the most out of their vehicles,” he explains. 

The fleet upgrade has been supported with about $2 million in operational co-funding from EECA, which the university has matched.

Once implemented, the university will have nearly 80 EVs available to employees.

EV charging stations are also being installed at the Hamilton and Tauranga campuses. 

Eventually, the university also hopes to make EVs and charging stations available to staff outside of normal hours, which will help reduce indirect scope three emissions.

The BYD Atto 3 has been selected as the make and model for the fleet, with implementation managed by Zilch car sharing. 

“This is a great example of using technology to support a sustainable future while also making things easier for employees, saving them from having to collect and return keys physically,” says Mercer. 

Other key partners involved in the project include Carbn Asset Management, which completed a fleet utilisation and optimisation study, and charging station installers We.EV (owned by WEL Networks) which completed campus electrical studies to understand the capacity of the network on site.

The University of Waikato is ranked in the top 100 (of more than 1400 institutions) in the 2024 QS World University Rankings: Sustainability, and was also a recent finalist in the Sustainable Business Awards.