New Zealand to spend NZD$3.74 million on cleaner transport

New Zealand’s Energy and Resources Minister, Megan Woods, has announced that more electric vehicles will be arriving on the nation’s motorways, bus lanes and streets.

NZD$3.74 million of funding has been provided for 20 projects in the third round of the Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund (EECA), and it’s expected that the projects will see the government funding matched or bettered by businesses.

“These exciting projects include a 58 tonne fully electric truck to be used by Coda in Hamilton to shuttle Fonterra’s dairy goods to the railway,” Dr Woods said. “Projects like this are vital to show others in the heavy logistics and transport industry that electric trucks are not only viable but have very low running costs.”

NZD$1.7 million of the funding is going towards helping fill the gaps within the country’s charging infrastructure. Tourism opportunities, for example electric campervans, will also benefit from the funding.

“The projects we are funding show there’s an electric vehicle for almost every job or use in New Zealand, be it delivering fruit and veg or taking a holiday,” assured Woods.

Also on the way is a Motor Industry Training Organisation project to develop a qualifications framework for mechanics working on electric vehicles.

The Government’s Electric Vehicles Programme has a target to double the number of electric vehicles each year, until 64,000 are present by the end of 2021. The funding of NZD$3.74 million is one of a range of initiatives implemented to help reach this aim.

The funding also offers up to 50 per cent towards projects. To receive the capital applicants have to match or exceed the amount granted and then the projects are approved conditionally until contracts are put in place. In this round recipients are contributing approximately NZD$4.3 million.