All “Electric vehicles” topics

In a promising move to the future, New Zealand’s first two battery-powered Scania trucks have hit the road in South Auckland – paving the way for other large transport companies to follow suit.

This information is only available to CILT members. Please click “Member log in” at the top of the page.  Learn more about becoming a member

In December last year ContainerCo (NZL) began operating New Zealand’s largest electric heavy vehicle (eHV), which can carry three 20 ft containers and is 22 m long. This was done with support from the Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority (EECA). It took about a year to design and deploy, and currently moves containers between port and rail facilities and ContainerCo depots in Auckland.

While the previous article (Dec 19) focused on light motor vehicles (LMVs) and looked at the trends and opportunities, this article focuses on heavy motor vehicles. There is a big outcry for battery-operated trucks or hydrogen fuel cell powertrains and less for liquefied natural gas (LNG) or the idea of encouraging the industry to quickly adopt the latest diesel technology to reduce emissions. The first half of this article provides an overview of the broader socio-economic aspects of tackling change, whereas the second part focuses more on the technical details.

There will not be one transport fuel for the future. Hydrogen, electric, biofuel and clean diesel energy will all play a part as the sector transitions to support the government’s goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

This information is only available to CILT members. Please click “Member log in” at the top of the page.  Learn more about becoming a member

As is with most things in New Zealand, while momentum around the opportunities posed by a renewable economy grows internationally, the emphasis at home has largely been on the costs to transition.