Yoogo Share has won first place in the "Smarter Transport" category of the 2018 NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards. 

Right to left: Yoogo Share Development Manager, Tracey Jay. Yoogo Share General Manager, Kirsten Corson. Waste Management National Manager Customer First, Marsha Cadman. Waste Management Sustainability Manager, Adam Weller.
Image Credit: Sustainable Business Network

650 people attended the black-tie NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards dinner in Auckland last Thursday night to find out which businesses were leading sustainability in the country. Yoogo Share was up against Waste Management NZ, Civic Contractors, Enviro NZ, Tranzit Group, Yoogo Share and Mevo for the Smarter Transport Award.

Meanwhile, taking out the supreme award, The City Rail Link, will also bring cleaner transport to NZ. 

The City Rail Link project has proven the infrastructure industry can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and its environmental impact while developing Auckland’s much-needed public transport infrastructure. This will result in an ongoing reduction in both congestion and carbon. 

A success factor behind being able to achieve CRL’s goal of zero waste to landfill has been supporting and educating the contractor companies and their employees to avoid, reduce, reuse, recycle and recover as much waste as practicable. CRL tracks against its projections all energy, water, materials, and waste that is generated on site.

Rachel Brown, CEO Sustainable Business Network, says: “New Zealand’s construction industry contributes 40 percent of the total waste going to landfill in Auckland and CRL has proven this doesn’t have to be the case.

There is usually a new category each year at these awards and this year it was Millennial on a Mission. The winner of this category is Olie Body whose extraordinarily witty and engaging organisation Wā Collective also won the Communicating for Change category and was a finalist for the Supreme Award. 

Using humour to break down barriers, Olie's reusable product has reduced waste going into landfills. NZ sends 357 million disposable menstrual products to landfill each year and they can take up to 500 years to decompose. 

Better NZ Trust has been both a past winner and a runnerup of the Communicating for Change category. We add our congratulations to Olie for her tremendous results this year and wish her well in what will undoubtedly be an exciting future.

Image Credit: Yoogo Share

Yoogo Share

Yoogo Share is a 100% electric car sharing service. It is the first of its kind in New Zealand.

Founded in Christchurch in February this year, it is now expanding to Auckland.

Yoogo targets three elements of smart mobility:

1. reduced congestion
2. reduced environmental impact
3. improved utilisation of the NZ car fleet.

It has a fleet of 100 vehicles in Christchurch. All are 100% electric, comprising a mix of BMW i3s and Hyundai Ioniqs. There are 3,000 members, including both business and private users. Yoogo focuses on driver education and making its service easy to use, with a 24-hour support service. It has built its own charging infrastructure so cars are always fully charged for the next user. There are already 100 charging stations in easily accessible hubs in Christchurch.

In the first six months since launch, Yoogo saved 40 tonnes of carbon in Christchurch alone.

Kirsten Corson, General Manager of Yoogo Share, confirms that Yoogo Share has already seen members sell their second car, or selling their only car, to use the fleet of shared electric cars.

When Corson was asked about Lime Scooters she is very positive saying “Mobility is like a jigsaw puzzle, and its great to see a number of sustainable options available for Cantabrians. We are already seeing members jumping on a Lime Scooter to get to one of our hubs, going out for a couple of hours in a Yoogo Share car and Scootering home.”

Garry Taylor, Executive General Manager NZI, the Principal Partner of the Sustainable Business Network Awards, says, “A sustainable business takes into account environmental, social and economic factors to create a business model that endures the test of time.”

[Rachelle Tilsley - Better NZ Trust - 29 November 2018]

New Zealand Waves The Flag at International EV Symposium

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:

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.

Tesla plans to open-source its vehicle security software for free to other automakers for safer self-driving future

EVworld organiser Conferenz has announced the finalists for its ‘champions’ awards – set to be revealed at the August event.

The awards recognise the pioneering individuals, businesses and towns who are committed to championing the uptake of EVs in New Zealand.

[Richard Edwards - EV Talk - 18 July 2018]

June's EV figures are currently being released around the world and as we're at the half-way mark of 2018, it's a good time to check on EV Growth progress.  

[Data supplied by Ministry of Transport NZ and EV Sales. photo  BAIC EC series flooding China's streets, courtesy of EV Sales]

Since 1916, cars of all types and more recently motorcycles have been competing in this gruelling uphill race.

With an official time of 7:57.148, VW’s fully electric racer beat the previous EV record of 8:57.118 set in 2016, as well as the overall course record of 8:13.878 set in 2013.*

Overall winners can compete under any class of cars or motorcycles, although the majority come from the open wheel and more recently the unlimited classes. 

* Two previous faster times were on a shortened course.

Read Article Here

[Charles Morris - 2 July 2018 - Charged EVs Magazine, Newswire]

A convoy of electric vehicles (EVs) are buzzing into Lower Hutt this month as part of the #LeadingTheCharge country wide road trip.

The exhibition will arrive at Dowse square on Thursday 22 March after having travelled roughly half of their journey from Bluff to Cape Reinga.

Aimed at promoting electric vehicles the silent convoy of BMW i3, Hyundai IONIQ, Nissan Leaf and Tesla will allow Hutt City residents and CBD businesses to see a range of EVs, chat to drivers and even take the wheel for that important ‘test drive’.

[Press Release - Hutt City Council - 18 June 2018]

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]

Read Full Article Here