Drive Electric Welcomes Government Commitment To Shift Their Fleet; Now Let’s Move On The Rest Of Our Cars

Mark Gilbert, Chair of Drive Electric says, “Drive Electric congratulates the Government for declaring a climate emergency today, and welcomes the commitment to a carbon neutral public service by 2025, which includes the transition of the government fleet to electric.

“The Government mandated fleet has about 16,000 vehicles, and yet only about 1 per cent of these are electric so far. It’s critical that this Government shows leadership, and gets its own fleet shifted as soon as possible, ideally well before 2025.

“Our members asked the Government to do this before the election, and we are delighted that they are now getting on with this. This will show other sectors what can be achieved.

“Today’s declaration of a climate emergency in New Zealand is an instrument of leadership, but it is only truly meaningful if we see ambitious action towards a climate friendly economy.

“Part of that must be a plan to decarbonise the transport system. In New Zealand, 90 per cent of travel done on our roads is done by light vehicles. We won’t hit our climate targets unless we improve how we get around our towns, cities and regions.

“Our 50 members, including many of New Zealand’s leading car brands, are ready to work with the Government to make this plan happen.

“Such a plan needs to include:

1. Measures to encourage businesses to transition their corporate fleets to EVs.
2. Measures to encourage New Zealanders to move to EVs and more accessible active/public transport.
3. Investment in infrastructure, such as EV charging networks and any necessary improvements to the grid.
4. Measures to ensure home charging installations are manageable and safe.”

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