A proponent of electrifying Queenstown says if anything good comes out of the global fuel crisis, it’ll be the acceleration of the Whakatipu’s transition away from fossil fuels.
Queenstown Electrification Accelerator (QEA) co-lead Josh Ellison says many households in the area are struggling with the spike in petrol and diesel prices, and the situation’s unlikely to improve for some time.
‘‘We’re spending about an extra half a billion dollars a month [nationally] on fuels at the moment, and that’s if prices don’t continue to go up further.
‘‘It’s been a wake-up call for a lot of people — electric vehicle (EV) companies have told me they’ve sold out.
‘‘I think a lot of people would like to take energy into their own hands.’’
QEA, which is an offshoot of national non-profit Rewiring Aotearoa, has a goal of making Queenstown the ‘‘world’s most electrified destination city’’.
Through education, research, practical trials and group discount schemes, it’s encouraging homes and businesses to electrify their appliances and vehicles.
Ellison says it has focused much of its work on the impacts of a major earthquake on road access and electricity supply to the Whakatipu, and the benefits of generating more power locally.
However, the same benefits apply in a fuel crisis.
‘‘The more energy we’re generating locally, the more protected we’ll be from these types of events, whether it’s the price shock part or our access to energy.’’
Cost reductions from economies of scale in the manufacture of solar panels, batteries and EVs in the past few years now mean households can effectively have ‘‘an oil well in your backyard’’, he says.
‘‘New Zealand crossed a tipping point a few years ago where it’s now cheaper, over the lifetime of a car, for it to be electric.
‘‘Electric vehicles often cost more up front, but that extra cost is now more than paid back over their lifetime.’’
Prices of new and used EVs have fallen significantly in recent years.
Research by Consumer NZ has found 96% of EV owners would buy an EV again, Ellison says.
That means there are about 80,000 EV owners in New Zealand ‘‘who are either all crazy, or might be on to something’’.
‘‘It’s worth chatting to them about their experience . . . because it helps remove a lot of the myths about electric vehicles.’’
Similarly, a rooftop solar system costs money up front, but saves much more over its lifetime.
He’s encouraging Whakatipu residents to ‘‘do the numbers themselves’’, and talk to a friend or a neighbour who has an EV or rooftop solar on their home.
The QEA is also ready to help.
‘‘We’re a non-profit, so we’re not trying to sell anything.
‘‘We can go through their exact situation and what they’re considering.’’
Ellison is also hoping the fuel crisis will encourage fresh thinking from politicians and policymakers.
‘‘I think we have a huge opportunity.
‘‘We’re not an oil-producing nation, so we have no reason to have so much reliance on petrol and diesel.’’