Northland council grows EV fleet

Northland regional councillor Justin Blaikie says his council is a national leader in the charge to adopt electric vehicle technologies. Blaikie says the council has seven full electric vehicles (EV) and three plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PEHV). It also has a raft of 80 solar panels atop its Water St headquarters, installed three years ago, which help charge them. The council’s foray into EV ownership began several years ago, and was driven both by the potential long-term financial savings and environmental benefits they offer. Northland Council’s current electric fleet comprises two Nissan Leaf, five new Renault Zoe, and three Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs. Blaikie says because of the nature of some of the council’s work – and the distances and terrain involved – it would not be practical and/or cost-effective to swap to an all-electric/PHEV fleet in the foreseeable future. The council is aiming to see as many of its 60-plus vehicle fleet as possible using some sort of electric technology during the next few years. He says the council’s 20kW rooftop ‘solar array’ generates enough power to drive about 500 EV kilometres per day, cutting about $26,000 from the council’s annual fuel bill. Northland’s was the first region in New Zealand to build a fast charging station that opened in Whangarei in May 2014. There are now several throughout the region, including in Whangarei, Kaiwaka, Dargaville and Kawakawa.