Is this the time for businesses to park up their fossil-fuelled fleet cars in favour of electrified equivalents?

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) proposes it could be and is highlighting the potential with an advertising campaign called the 'Gen Less EV Shout Out' to give organisations across the country an opportunity to 'shout out' about their EVs use online and on billboards across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

Electric vehicle acceptance is a long way from critical mass, with just 20,000 registered nationally, yet 23 per cent of those being bought by businesses, is seen as a technology acceptance driver.

Selected as inspirational fare for the campaign are NZ Post, Asthma NZ, a not-for-profit centring in Auckland, and a Christchurch t-shirt maker Verboom T-Shirts and Badges.

READ MORE:

* Climate change campaign Gen Less kicks-off to a positive start

* Gen Less campaign hopes to inspire action on climate change

* Let's not be fundamentalist about feebates and EV ownership

* How much will an EV really cost to run?

NZ Post is a particularly powerful voice as it holds comfortable status as the country's largest EV supporter. It also stands out in this exercise by being the only user to stick to a 'buying new is best' thought promoted by EECA's boss.

Supplied NZ Post's EV fleet is mainly Paxsters, but also features Renault and LDV vans, as well as Hyundai cars and a single used import Nissan e-NV100 van.

Chief executive Andrew Caseley contends businesses buying NZ-new product are doing us all a favour "as those fleets get upgraded, their EVs go into the second-hand market creating more opportunities for New Zealanders to make the switch."

Good thought? It didn't sway Asthma NZ and Verboom, which prefer – and enjoy - used import Nissan Leafs.

Actually, even New Zealand Post has an import car in its EV fleet, a Nissan e-NV200. Otherwise it has concentrated on brand-new cars - Hyundai's Ioniq hatch and Kona crossover - and LDV EV80 and Renault Kangoo vans, all bought through the Government purchasing channel that purportedly demand a big discount.

NZ Post's senior environment manager Sam Bridgman says he doesn't know about that, but he can relate that with the Paxsters included a full 25 per cent of the NZ Post fleet is electric, with more to be added later this year.

Their programme has been interesting. EVs unavoidably requiring a lot longer to recharge than the few minutes it takes to fill up a fuel tank, fear of not having sufficient battery life to complete a round-trip, not being able to find a charging station in time and ensuring vehicles aren't returned in perilously depleted state. It's contended with, and resolved, all those.

SUPPLIED The electric Paxsters used by NZ Post are designed and built in Norway.

"What we've learned is that overnight charging is suitable for the majority of the time," Bridgman says.

Also, "we have a lot of different roles for vehicles" and, in picking the EV that's right for the job, there also acceptance that "there's not yet an EV suitable for every type of role we have."

The LDVs are mainly being used for short to medium haul delivery work whereas the Kangoos are on rural delivery.

"We anticipate bigger vans with more range will become available over the next two to three years, so we expect to see widespread uptake of those."

NZ Post has installed chargers at depots – a DC fast charger to trial but otherwise AC units - and reminds operators to use the public recharging network as and when required.

Supplied Asthma NZ has eight Nissan Leafs across Auckland, Wellington and Rotorua.

About that aspect. Recognition that continued fast charging can reduce the total capacity of an EV battery, which might affect the overall range of the vehicle over time, and that battery degradation can also result from 'overcharging' (regularly charging up to 100 per cent) and 'deep discharging' (running down to zero charge), and how EVs cope in extreme climatic conditions are subject to ongoing study.

"Part of the point was to explore just what those barriers are and the perceptions about them.

"We've found we pretty much mirror New Zealander's questions in respect to charging and range. We also operate the breadth of NZ, in all extremes. We're learning a lot."

Overseas' advice has been helpful. "In Europe there is a good amount of EV experience and, from talking with them about battery degradation we're told they are lasting longer than anticipated. We're looking forward to seeing if our results show this."

An 80 per cent reduction in equivalent fuel spend and a 50 per cent decline in servicing cost is good news. Meeting long-term sustainability and carbon reduction goals is on track.

Supplied Asthma NZ's nurses had an the nurses had an induction for their new EVs, with just a little bit of range anxiety.

Recognition that, in addition to contributing to climate change, petrol and diesel vehicle emissions are also especially harmful for those with respiratory conditions, compelled Asthma New Zealand's decision to trade the Holden Barinas and Suzuki Swifts it provisioned to eight nurses operating out of Auckland, Wellington and Rotorua for used import 2017 Leafs.

Six are 24kWh models with a range of 150km and two are 30kWh cars, good for 200km, though most generally clock an average 70km a day for home, school, marae, community centre and hospital visits.

Still, chief executive Katheren Leitner admits the organisation was a little cautious to commit. She started by trialling a Leaf for two months.

"I am quite precious about my vehicles and I thought, 'this is going to be rather interesting.' But I have been blown away.

"We went through a deliberate change strategy so the nurses had an induction. We had a couple who were a little range anxious but most were fine straight away."

Supplied Verboom's Will Stewart mainly uses his Nissan Leaf around Christchurch, but has taken it on holiday to Motueka, towing a trailer too.

Buying imports attuned to the organisation's belief in reusability. "Everything that gets dumped into our environment will impact us, especially in a respiratory aspect, one way or the other."

Verboom owner Will Stewart mainly uses his 2013 Leaf around Christchurch, yet having taken it on a family holiday to Motueka at Christmas – towing a trailer – and on previous work trips to Invercargill, he's comfortable with its open road competence and unflustered by need to recharge every 120kms or so.

So delivering product for the Armageddeon Expo in Wellington next month, a 350km run, will be a cinch. The route has plenty of recharging options and, with his car configured for DC fast charging, those refreshs will take no more than 20 minutes. Time he'll spend dwelling on how much cheaper the world's best-selling EV is to operate than the 'gas guzzling' 2.0-litre Ford Mondeo station wagon it replaced.

EECA's Caseley says these studies remind about how EVs serve as a tool for positive action against climate change. Lowering emissions is of national importance.

"Transport makes up around 20 per cent on NZ's emissions, so electrifying transport is one of the best ways."

EECA says that more than 30 businesses have already signed up for an EV Shout Out in advance of the campaign going live earlier this week and other organisations that have moved to EVs are encouraged to shout out by sharing an EV update (or updates) on their company's social media pages using the hashtag #GenLessEVs and email a link to the post to genless@eeca.govt.nz for their chance to be featured, or click here for more information.