Europcar NZ adds EVs to fleet
Posted on 21 November, 2017
Europcar NZ now offers 100 per cent electric vehicles for rent in both Auckland and Christchurch.
Europcar will introduce ten Volkswagen e-Golfs into its rental vehicle fleet. With the growth of sustainable tourism and rising awareness of corporate responsibility, rental EVs provide travellers the opportunity to experience and test drive EVs while promoting environmentally friendly motoring solutions.
The addition of EVs into their rental fleet is due to Europcar being granted nearly $200,000 in funding under round two of EECA’s Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund. The Government has established the contestable fund to encourage innovation and investment to accelerate the uptake of electric and other low emission vehicles in New Zealand, which might not otherwise occur.
The fund provides up to $6 million per year to co-fund, up to 50%, projects with private and public sector partners in areas where commercial returns aren’t yet strong enough to justify full private investment.
General Manager Europcar New Zealand, Stephen Jones says the new electric fleet reinforces Europcar’s long-term strategy by embracing the fast-changing nature of motoring and its inevitable lean towards green technology.
This co-funding will go towards the vehicle lease costs, charging infrastructure and marketing with the aim of increasing EV demand within the rental vehicle sector, which is the largest corporate purchaser of passenger vehicles in NZ.
