Electric Vehicles in New Zealand
November 5, 2011 
No Comments
The EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) has released a draft document on Deploying Electric Vehicles in New Zealand.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are an emerging form of transport worldwide which could help New Zealanders meet their private transport needs while reducing their climate change impact.
The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) is assisting the introduction of EVs into the New Zealand market, by working to overcome barriers such as uncertainty and inconsistency around standards.
Download the PDF (500kb) Draft document for feedback
The document talks about;
- confusion among consumers about the requirements for different vehicles
- safety concerns arising from this confusion
- vehicles charging with some plugs but not with others
- homes needing significant (and costly) new wiring and sockets
- uncertainty regarding the Standards required to be met by the vehicle and associated charging equipment.
This situation has the potential to create significant barriers for the uptake and trade of EVs. This guidance document, produced by EECA in conjunction with the Ministry of Economic Development (MED), and the Ministry of Transport (MOT), aims to help EV manufacturers and importers by providing with accurate information about the existing regulatory and market conditions. This document aims to address these concerns by:
- providing information about the New Zealand regulatory environment as it applies to EVs and charging technologies
- providing background information about the expected charging needs of New Zealand EV users.
Source: Ecobob
I would personally like to see more of a system like Better Place talked about in this document. When it comes to limitations with EV technology, the best option that I have heard is Better Places sollution, which involves being able to simply and easily swap out batteries in a similar way to going to a gas station.
