Can New Zealand reach Norway's standard for electric vehicles?

With a general power cut in Taupo recently, one EV owner and dealer, Steve Greenwood of Drive EV (www.driveev.co.nz/) has been able to keep the power going at his home and office.

Using an inverter running off the traction batteries in an EV, he has available two AC power points for household appliances. 

We were unsure if EV Owners would be able to attend a Friday evening visit to Alpine Energy, but in the end but a good number of owners arrived, including three new members for whom this was their first community event.

Alpine Energy was one of the early adopters for Electric Vehicle Fast Charging in the South Island.

In fact, CEO Andrew Tombs said it was, at the time, one of the easiest proposals to get through the company’s Board and they saw the benefit of Electric Vehicles taking advantage of the distribution infrastructure already installed to use to better effect.

"If Racing Was a Game, Consider It Changed."

With just a month to go, we're getting excited about ABB FIA Formula E: Season 5.

Edoardo Mortara (Venturi Formula E Team), Valencia pre-season testing - Credit: LAT/Formula E

You know things are getting a little crazy when people are calling for taxes on fossil fuels to be cut so we can keep consuming fossil fuels and maintain our trajectory towards climate chaos.

There is actually plenty of good news, and much of it involves the Government. But what can we do ourselves? Up until recently, most commentators thought that petrol demand was "inelastic" - we'd just keep buying it no matter how much it cost. However, the recent price spike saw people boycott petrol stations briefly and Z Energy has reported a 31% fall in profits in the six months to the end of September. People are managing to do with less. The sky did not fall and alternatives to the single occupant car were found. So how about taking a pause to think about our own transport habits and what we could change to reduce burning fossil fuels...

[Scott Willis - Otago Daily Times - 12 Oct 2018]

Read Full Article

The latest data from Flip the Fleet, a coalition of over 1,150 EV owners from all round New Zealand, shows that electric vehicles are actually driven further each year than combustion vehicles.

The annual average distance travelled across all models of EVs is 14,100 km/year, a Electric vehicles go the distance quarter more than the 11,500 km/year for combustion vehicles.

“Our Trust provides test drives to let people experience what a joy EVs are to drive,” says Kathryn Trounson, Chairperson of The Better New Zealand Trust, “These data show that the switch to electric cars also saves them money while reducing New Zealand’s carbon footprint.”

[Kathryn Trounson - Opunake and Coastal News - 11 Oct 2018]

New Zealand Waves The Flag at International EV Symposium

Media Release

for immediate release

Electric vehicles go the distance

Henrik Moller (left) and Dima Ivanov (right), founders of Flip The Fleet

If you think you can’t go places in an electric vehicle, you’re wrong.

The latest data from Flip the Fleet, a coalition of over 1,150 EV owners from all around New Zealand, shows that electric vehicles are actually driven further each year than combustion vehicles. The annual average distance travelled across all models of EVs is 14,100 km/year, a quarter more than the 11,500 km/year for combustion vehicles.

Kathryn Trounson, Chairperson of The Better New Zealand Trust, couldn’t be happier! “Our Trust provides test drives to let people experience what a joy EVs are to drive. This data shows that the switch to electric cars also saves them money while reducing New Zealand’s carbon footprint,” Kathryn commented.

Even the very earliest Nissan Leaf model with a small battery is travelling more than the average for combustion vehicles. The average single trip away from base and back again in a New Zealand EV is 48 km, whereas NZTA estimates that the combined distance of all the day’s trips in a combustion vehicle averages only 28 km. One of the 30 kWh Leafs contributing to the Flip the Fleet data base is travelling 45,000 km a year.

“The data well and truly busts the myth that EVs aren’t a practical substitute for a conventional car,” Kathryn went on to say.

The higher average distance travelled by EVs doesn’t surprise the Flip the Fleet researchers. “Many EV owners also retain one of their old combustion vehicles as back‐up, but then concentrate most of the family’s travel in the EV to save money and enjoy a better ride. Families often run a simple rule. Whoever is going furthest that day, gets to take the EV. That way the EV becomes the family workhorse and the household’s transport costs and transport emissions are minimised,” said Daniel Myall, Flip the Fleet’s statistician.

“EVs are particularly good for people with a reasonably long commute to work. We think some people are doing the sums and realising that even though a typical EV costs more to buy, they can quickly regain that through avoided petrol costs.”

Flip the Fleet estimates that a commuter doing a 100 km round trip to work, five days a week, is saving $90 per week in fuel and maintenance costs.

The sums in favour of an EV are getting even better with the recent petrol price hikes.

The Mitsubishi Outlander, a Plug‐in Hybrid, averaged 19,000 km per year ‐ the furthest of any EV model reporting to Flip The Fleet.

At the lower end was the Nissan eNV200, the only readily available second‐hand electric van for light commercial use in New Zealand so far. Its average travel per year is just 9,400 km.

“The next big breakthrough we look forward to is an inexpensive light commercial electric van that can travel a decent distance with a heavy load of passengers or gear on board,” said Daniel.

Flip the Fleet is a citizen science project that provides scientifically reliable information on the benefits and constraints of electric vehicles in New Zealand. The project is partly funded by the government’s Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund, administered by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).

Participation is free and all New Zealand’s electric vehicle owners can enrol at www.flipthefleet.org.

… ends

National award for Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa! Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa has won the Innovation category of the EECA Business Awards! The complex has recently begun trialling New Zealand’s first 65kW Capstone micro turbine generator which converts methane from its thermal water bores into electricity.

The EECA Business Awards were held on September 26th at the Villa Maria Estate in Auckland.

The theme this year was innovation and leadership.

The awards are about celebrating successful businesses and people who reduce carbon emissions and save energy. They are about recognizing a successful reduction of our impact on climate change. Electric Vehicles play an important part of this story, as Transport accounts for 20% of NZ's carbon emissions. Once again EV adopters were included amongst the winners.

“There are no losers here,” said Andrew Caseley, Chief Executive of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA). “Least of all our environment and economy."

Judging for the EECA Business Awards 2018 was provided by the University of Waikato, whose Energy Research Group is recognised as one of New Zealand’s foremost industrial engineering learning organisations.

Click here to see a full list of award winners and the judges' notes 

A quick roundup of 2018 award winners were:

During the recent 2018 International Drive Electric Week, I was lucky enough to test out the smooth drive of a brand new Yoogo Share BMW i3. It wasn’t just the electric glide, but the whole Yoogo Share experience went smoothly. 

But after I returned the car I felt quite deflated.

Yoogo Share is a fully electric car sharing service.

---

Sylvia Wilson drove around Australia in an electric car. It cost her $150.90.

Wilson, 70, a retired farmer from near Biloela in central Queensland, had planned the trip of a lifetime with her husband, Rod. One impulsive evening in mid-2016 they went online and, sight-unseen, bought a Tesla S75 electric car for the journey.

A few months after Rod died last year, Sylvia announced to her family: “I think I’ll do that trip.

“Most of them were really keen. A couple of them said ‘you’re mad, you’ll never do it’,” Wilson told Guardian Australia.

[The Guardian - 11 Sept 2018]

Electric gained the upper hand against petrol, at least initially, in a drag race at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell yesterday.

A Tesla Model X electric vehicle (right) surged ahead at the beginning of a race against a Ferrari 488 (left),  the Ferrari only catching up later in the race.

[Otago Daily Times - 10 September 2018]

[Photo Simon Henderson]

A Tesla Model X left a Ferrari 488 in its dust during the early stages of a friendly drag race at “The Hare and Turtle” Drive Electric Week event at Cromwell.

[Geoff Dobson - EV Talk - 10 September 2018]

Whangārei, the country's Friendliest Electric Vehicle town, launched Drive Electric Week with a convoy of EVs at the Whangārei Growers Market on Saturday.

[Northern Advocate - 11 Sept 2018]

A 16-month-old thrashed family 7-seater has thoroughly beaten a racing car off the start line at the Highlands Motorsport track. The friendly race had professional drivers in both vehicles at the International Drive Electric Week event in Cromwell on Sunday.

It came as no surprise to the Tesla fans in the crowd, although I'm sure there were some doubts amongst others.

The Ferrari seemed to almost catch the Tesla as it reached the straight line finish, although some claim this may be because electric vehicles can slow just as quickly as they can take off.

The event was organised jointly by FlipTheFleet and the Dunedin EV Owners Group and proudly supported by #LeadingTheCharge.

Electric Vehicles are no strangers to racing, with the overall winner at Pikes Peak, an EV this year as well. Meanwhile, Formula-E is gaining in popularity with speeds becoming almost comparable to Formula One. This is especially so amongst the younger generations apparently because the format suits interactive crowd participation.  The #LeadingTheCharge campaigners are also no strangers to EV vs Petrol racing, with a similar race between a Tesla Model S squarely beating a McLaren supercar four times in a row at Ardmore track, even when the Tesla was carrying an especially great political guest.

There will be another EV track day shortly. This time in the North Island at Hampton Downs racetrack on 7 October, hosted by the Electric Vehicle Association of Aotearoa.

[Rachelle Tilsley - Better NZ Trust - 10 Sept 2018]

If you'll be in either CHRISTCHURCH or AUCKLAND during IDEW: Don't Miss This!

Better NZ Trust has discovered that Yoogo Share are offering a super discounted IDEW rate. Not only that but following on from their astounding success in Christchurch, they've now officially opened their new branch in Auckland.

Yoogo Share are offering their private members a special $10 nightly rate for Intl Drive Electric Week. This means you can drive one of their BMW i3 or Hyundai IONIQs from 6pm to 8am for this great discounted price.

https://www.yoogoshare.co.nz/drive-electric-week-2018

Yoogo Share is currently free to join with no membership fees – To sign up head to yoogoshare.co.nz and make a booking.

Yoogo Share access cards are needed to drive their cars – these cards are your key to drive the pure EVs. Cards usually take 5-7 working days to arrive via mail, however for Intl Drive Electric Week Yoogo Share can speed up this process – just give their team a call on 0800 GO SHARE and they’ll get an access card to you in time for your booking.

What more could you ask of them? A great deal with an unbelievably low overnight price. 

So great that I'm going to try it out myself.

[Rachelle Tilsley - Better NZ Trust - 9 Sept 2018]

#IDEW2018 #IDEW #LEADINGTHECHARGE

What is a #LeadingTheCharge Champion

The EV community in NZ is a passionate collection of people who want to share their EV enthusiasm with the rest of the world. 

They live with the benefits and enjoyment that comes from owning an EV and as good Evangelists want to let other people experience that enjoyment too! These people often join #LeadingTheCharge as volunteer members, as a way of cohesively promoting EV in a big way, rather than lots of individuals doing their own thing.

The “Better NZ Trust” has members living up and down the country, but in each region there is a stand-out local Champion (or two) who either regularly puts their hand up to organise EV events in their area under the Trust umbrella, or supports the Better NZ Trust in some other substantial way. Our Champions are early adopters of EV (many were pioneers) and give a huge amount of their time and care to Champion the Cause of EV through education, displays, events, etc.

And by using the Better NZ Trust umbrella, they can access our collateral, financial support, advice and wider audience. The Trust, in turn, receives its support under its EECA mandate and from its generous sponsors. The Trust was set up by the original EV Champions in NZ, and the current Trustees continue to volunteer their time.  

Don't miss Hamilton's first-ever electrically charged Festival – celebrating the acceleration into our lives of E-vehicles!

Held in partnership with the Waikato Engineering Careers Association and Waikato EV Owners, the EVolocity Electric Wheels Festival, is coming to Kartsport Track, opposite the airport, Saturday, September 29.

The festival includes the Waikato regional finals of EVolocity, the electric vehicle secondary schools competition. Executive Director Rob McEwen says EVolocity Waikato has thirty-nine teams competing from 21 Waikato schools this year, more than any other region in New Zealand. "But, it's not just the number of schools and teams, it's the Waikato attitude and determination which sets them apart from the rest."

With it's unveiling set for Sept 9th inside a Boeing 777F from the Lufthansa Cargo fleet, BMW has given a sneak peek at their next gen electric car.

"While the video is edited so that we can barely see the vehicle, it’s another thing if you use freeze-frame and tweak the exposure a little," says Fred Lambert of Elecktrek. "We can see that it is more of a crossover than a sedan – meaning that it is sitting a little higher."

Click for full article and video

[Fred Lambert - Electrek - 4 Sept 2018]

Drive Electric Week starts in New Zealand on September 8 with a growing number of events being added to the list.

It will be launched first internationally on September 8 from 7am with an EV display at the Whangarei Growers Market, the display returning on September 15.

The September 8 event is followed by a morning tea at the Totara Cafe in Tikipunga, Whangarei, 10.30am.

Corporate EVs will be displayed and rides and drives available at QBE Stadium in Albany, Auckland, September 8, noon-4pm.

Wellington EV advocates Sigurd Magnusson and Jorn Scherzer talk EVs at the War Memorial Library in Lower Hutt on September 8, 1.3pm-2.30pm.

Flip the Fleet’s Henrik Moller provides short presentations at an EV presentations and drives afternoon the same day at the Central Stories Museum & Art Gallery in Alexandra from 3pm. The event links with an exhibition on climate change.

Complete List of Events here

[Geoff Dobson - EV Talk - 1 September 2018]

Read full EV Talk article here

More than three-quarters of owners who took part in a new "Flip the Fleet" poll believed cash incentives would be needed if more than half of new vehicle registrations were to be electric by 2025.

Of more than 66,000 new or used light vehicle registrations in the first three months of this year, just over 800 were EVs.

As at last month, New Zealand's EV fleet stood at 9,241 - although that was still a big leap from the 206 EVs recorded at the same time five years ago.

Richard Pither's workshop (Porirua Motors) is one of 24 around the country that have banded together to offer customers electric courtesy cars while their own cars are in for repairs.

Most of the workshops are also sending technicians on training courses to upskill in electric vehicle (EV) service, maintenance and repair. EVs have only a fraction of the moving parts in a typical petrol or diesel car so are much cheaper to maintain. But they still have brakes, wheels, tyres and electronic issues, and they still need regular checks and servicing. "We're fully trained to look after the whole EV," says Pither.

Courtesy EVs give people a convenient way to see what the electric cars are like to drive and to practice charging up at home – a first step to buying one in the future, says Mark Nixon, EV advocate and driving force behind the scheme.

Read Full Article

[Stuff Motoring - 26 Aug 2018]

This week, Opel has revealed its concept car and renewed their intention to release four BEV/PHEV by 2020 and an ambitious complete electrification of its lineup by 2024.

Earlier this year, Opel announced plans to build its own electric cars as its Chevy Bolt EV deal with GM isn’t working out.

The newly unveiled concept car will be released in the competitive Compact SUV segment of the market.

Read Full Article and view more images

[Fred Lambert - Electrek - 23 Aug 2018]

STEVE AND DEE WEST ARE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTORS AT EV WORLD NZ 2018

Two of the founders of the Better NZ Trust, Steve and Dee West, were recognised at EV World 2018 for the outstanding work they have put into the EV space in New Zealand.

Driving Collaboration and Overcoming the Barriers for EV Adoption

Panel Members: David Vincent, Ken Shirley, Gavin Young, Oz Jabur, Steve West

One of the most relevant topics for the Better NZ Trust’s #LeadingTheCharge campaign at the EV World conference was the Leaders Panel: Driving Collaboration and Overcoming the Barriers for EV Adoption.

Because if there are legitimate, insurmountable obstacles preventing people from purchasing electric vehicles, then the work the Better NZ Trust carries out, would be as frustrating and futile as taking a child window shopping in a candy store.

The first step in overcoming barriers in EV Adoption is to identify them. And the first speaker in this session was David Vincent who has been doing just that in his role on the government initiated EV Leadership Group. The group is an amalgam of government departments and the industry sector. An initial mandate instilled by former Minister of Transport, Simon Bridges, and reinforced by the Associate Minister of Transport, Julie Anne Genter, was ‘to identify the impediments for the uptake of EVs and make recommendations as to how to get over them.’

Read the full transcripts from the panel discussion below.

To summarise, the main barrier to EV Adoption is in the heavy fleet area, with lithium-ion batteries being impractical for high payload vehicles like tractors. Although stop/start vehicles like rubbish trucks and buses or long-haul semi-trucks are slowly and successfully being introduced. 

The second major issue is the high initial purchase price. Used imports are driving uptake and stocks are unlikely to dwindle in the near future, but will eventually be joined by ex-fleet vehicles, buoying the second-hand market.

Other issues that are often touted as prime barriers, such as lack of off-street parking or multi-dwelling buildings will not be a problem with technology already available to overcome these issues or tech that will be available by the time mass adoption occurs. 

In the past year, customer EV-IQ has increased with intelligent questions being asked and industry representatives report that their own response to these questions has improved with ongoing training. A recent survey of Mercury customers around the country indicates that nearly 50% of people are seriously considering an EV for their next vehicle purchase.