NZ Company Thinking Big with Electric Vehicles

In an exciting initiative, potentially worth billions of dollars in the coming years, Manawatu is positioned to take the lead in the market for commercial electric vehicles, and the Company at the fore of the development is thinking big.

While the concept of electric vehicles is not new, the Palmerston North Company, Zero Emission Vehicles Limited (ZEV), is designing, constructing and commercialising a heavy electric vehicle.

They are building a battery electric rolling chassis (the wheels, suspension and chassis) for light trucks and buses. It will be capable of moving heavy loads or numbers of people more economically than the diesel equivalent, with the added bonus of zero emissions.

Since 2002, The Manawatu Tram Trust, local businesses and Massey University have been researching and planning this initiative. NZ Chamber of Commerce Board Member and Chairman of The Manawatu Tram Trust, Paul O’Brien, said initial research was unable to source a suitable “clean green” zero emission vehicle for the Tram, despite Trust Board members having privately funded many international research trips to locate suitable componentry. What they did find was that the core technology does exist, sufficient for ZEV to now satisfy all their requirements in building and deploying heavy electric vehicles, and for the Manawatu region to lead globally in this exciting new field.

Board member, Andrew Rushworth of R&D Solutionz explains.

“We have secured access to new emerging technologies. Now, by leveraging existing engineering capability and capacity, and combining this with the promotion of an investment fund linked to the price of oil for financing operators into the new vehicles, it makes possible what has just been a dream.”

In 2007, 5,768 transport vehicles over 7.5 tonne were registered in New Zealand and the global market for light trucks is forecast at 4.7 million units in 2009/2010.

“The more of these we can convert to New Zealand built Battery Electric, operating on New Zealand generated clean electricity, the better off everyone will be,” says Rushworth.

“We believe this initiative will go a long way to improving New Zealand’s balance of trade, while addressing obligations under Kyoto, creating new commercial opportunities, and ensuring New Zealand continues to lead in its clean green image.”

Key to the ZEV strategy is the combination of access to new breakthrough technology and the development fund linked to the price of oil.

“The Manawatu Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Agency Vision Manawatu have been involved since the beginning, through the Manawatu Tram Trust,” says Chairman Paul O’Brien.

“The Trust saw the potential and benefits for an iconic trackless Tram service in Palmerston North, but as much as we looked and researched, we couldn’t find a suitable vehicle, one that met all our criteria. Clean, green, and running on renewable resources. The Manawatu Tram Trust, Zero Emission Vehicles, along with other partners, expect to have a vehicle operating in 2009.”