EECA Funding Brought Forward
There’s more money in the pot for EV innovators seeking co-funding in the next 12 months.
EECA has brought forward an additional $1 million for the Government’s Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund for the 2018/19 financial year, making a grand total of $7 million available for rounds 5 and 6.
“We want to get more projects underway earlier, when investment is likely to have greater impact in accelerating uptake of EVs,” says EECA’s Chief Executive Andrew Caseley. “This will more effectively support the target of 64,000 EVs by 2021.”
The funding is being moved forward from the final year of the contestable fund, 2020/21.
Round 5 is due to open in mid-August, with successful applicants from round 4 announced at around the same time.
[Electric Vehicle News - EECA - 13 June 2018]
World's Largest EV Rally Kicks Off
Whether sharing their knowledge with community, or just a sense of unflagging camaraderie, 160 such teams ranging from solo shade-tree mechanics to major corporations to visiting tourists in rented Nissan Leaf and BMW i3s took to the roads in Switzerland to participate in the largest electric-vehicle rally in the world.
[Eric C. Evarts - Green Car Reports - 12 June 2018]
Tesla’s latest update comes with more ‘nag’
The new Autopilot software update that Tesla started to roll out last week features some improvements in performance as promised by CEO Elon Musk. But now, owners are also finding out that Tesla significantly increased the “nag” to force drivers to keep their hands on the wheel.
[Fred Lambert - Electrek - 11 June 2018]
New Model Updates: Porsche vs Tesla
The eagerly awaited Mission E doesn't aim to be a Tesla killer, it aims to be a 'real Porsche', claims Stefan Weckbach, Head of the BEV Model Series at Porsche.
Meanwhile, will the new Tesla Model Y even have a steering wheel? Elon Musk teases with tidbits of information and a new peek at the styling and shape of this Model-3-sized SUV.
[Electrek - Fred Lambert - 5 & 6 June, 2018]
Nissan begins deliveries of upgraded e-NV200 electric van
Nissan has received over 4,600 orders for its upgraded e-NV200 since sales began in January. The new electric van is now being shipped to customers in Europe and Hong Kong, with Japanese deliveries to follow.
[Charged EVS Newswire by Charles Morris, 4 June 2018]
NZ joins global Electric Vehicle Initiative
New Zealand has joined a multi-government forum of the world’s top electric vehicle markets dedicated to accelerating the uptake of electric vehicles.
Membership of the Electric Vehicle Initiative (EVI) will link New Zealand into international best practice around electric vehicles (EVs) including policy, research and information sharing, said Andrew Caseley, Chief Executive of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).
[EECA - 30 May 2018]
Cops patrol on e-bikes
Auckland police patrolled the downtown area on electric bikes during Queen’s Birthday weekend.
[EVTalk, Geoff Dobson, 5th June 2018]
Read moreDismissive Car Dealers Create Barrier to EV Adoption at POS
"Perhaps unsurprisingly, salespeople tended to promote the vehicle that is easier to sell, which outside of Norway, was undoubtedly not an EV."
A recent study published in the journal Nature by a team from Aarhus University in Denmark has found that car dealerships pose a significant barrier to electric vehicle adoption at the point of sale due to a perceived lack of business case viability in relation to gasoline and diesel vehicles.
Read moreHarry and Meghan's Jaguar E-Type EV
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding car was literally something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.
The royal couple drove away in a Jaguar E-Type Zero, a classic 1968 E-Type roadster that has been converted to run on cutting-edge electric power.
[Stuff Motoring - 21 May 2018]
Conservation Comment: Leading the charge for electric cars
Last week, James Shaw announced he would like to put a tax on imported petrol vehicles to subsidise and encourage electric vehicles (EVs).
[Whanganui Chronicle - Opinion - 7th May 2018]