The Coalition Government has mostly been dissembling policies and programmes inherited from the previous regime that were intended to reduce NZ’s carbon footprint. Particularly measures intended to address farm and transport emissions.
The Government insists it will take a “technology-driven” approach, as Climate Minister Simon Watts puts it.
So a pleasant surprise that the Government has launched the Low Emissions Heavy Vehicle Fund (LEHVF), committing $27.75 million to promote innovation and offset the cost of hundreds of heavy vehicles powered by clean technologies.
The rationale as explained by Watts and Energy Minister Simeon Brown: “High upfront costs and the unknown total cost of ownership are the main barriers to the uptake of zero and low-emissions heavy vehicles. To address this barrier, the LEHVF will contribute up to 25 per cent of the cost of new zero and low-emissions heavy vehicles, and up to 25 per cent of the cost to convert existing higher emitting heavy vehicles to be powered by low-emissions technology.”
Says Minister Watts: “While this is a one-time initiative, there will be cumulative emissions benefits over the lifecycle of these low-emissions heavy vehicles. Initial estimates indicate that switching 500 diesel-only vehicles to zero and low-emissions alternatives will prevent 366,622 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.”
Eligible vehicles include battery electric, hydrogen fuel cell electric, hydrogen-diesel dual fuel and plug-in diesel-electric models with a gross vehicle mass of 5.9 tonnes or more. Regional and local councils can apply … it will be interesting to see what interest Hawke’s Bay politicos and businesses show.
The goal here of course is to move heavy vehicles off diesel and demonstrate that viable alternatives exist. Transport accounts for 18% of NZ’s total emissions. It’s not clear why the Government believes it is wise and useful to subsidise the uptake of clean heavy vehicles while ditching purchase incentives for light EVs and weakening fuel efficiency standards for petrol cars.
So … just a soft clap of gratitude for the LEHVF.
Details here, including an approved list of heavy vehicles and suppliers.
Fully-loaded diesel log trucks descending from the region’s forests to the port are wasting loads of potential energy, heating their brakes and annoying residents with their racket. Short of very long elevators or cable-cars, regenerative braking makes economic, environmental and social sense.
PS Slow progress has evidently made that truck weep.