Hon Steven Joyce

Minister for Economic Development

Hon Simon Bridges

Minister of Transport

31 August 2016 Media Statement

Procurement changes to drive electric vehicle uptake

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Transport Minister Simon Bridges today announced the Government will seek to include additional electric vehicle providers in the All-of-Government (AoG) Vehicles contract to help further enhance the availability of electric vehicles in New Zealand.

“Electric vehicles are a growing industry and New Zealand should benefit from technological advances as they come onto the market,” Mr Joyce says.

“Following a feasibility study, New Zealand Government Procurement is inviting providers of electric vehicles to be considered for the AoG vehicles panel, in order to increase the number of electric vehicle options available to public sector agencies.

“New Zealand Government Procurement will also collaborate with the private sector and co-ordinate fleet purchases to stimulate demand for electric vehicles and attract more electric vehicle manufacturers into New Zealand.”

The Procurement initiative is part of the government-industry programme to accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles in New Zealand to reach 64,000 vehicles by 2021.

“The Government and private sector will need to keep working together if we are to make orders of sufficient scale to meet this target.

“Three models of electric vehicles are currently available through the AoG panel providers. These changes will allow agencies more flexibility to take advantage of additional new or improved models that meet agency requirements as they become available,” Mr Bridges says.

“We are committed to attracting manufacturers and models that deliver whole-of-life costs over time that are comparable to their petrol and diesel equivalents.

“The Government will draw on existing relationships with vehicle manufacturers nationally and internationally to make this happen. We are already seeing increased demand, with a number of businesses making the switch to electric vehicles.

“This approach demonstrates the Government’s commitment to transitioning to a low carbon economy by enhancing the availability of electric vehicles, both in the public and private sector. I’m confident it will mean more electric vehicles on New Zealand’s roads, sooner.”

More information is available here.

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