HOW KIWIS ARE CUTTING TRANSPORT EMISSIONS

Major reductions in transport are critical to achieving New Zealand s commitment of being carbon neutral by 2050 – with 42 percent of our carbon dioxide emissions attributed to vehicles. or most New Zealanders, fossil-fuelled vehicles are the biggest source of our individual emissions, with nearly 0 percent of all transport C 2 emissions coming from cars, Vs, utes, vans and light trucks.

tatistics show 4,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year could be avoided if just one-fifth of those who usually travel to work by car worked at home at least one day a week.

ut with more New Zealanders returning to their workplaces in recent weeks – for those of us ready to reduce our energy use and make more climatefriendly transport choices, what are our options

Become a one car household

or a start, it could be time to ditch that second car. New Zealand has one of the highest rates of car ownership in the world. n 2020 there were about four million registered light vehicles in New Zealand and percent of those were petrol or diesel-powered – adding significantly to our carbon emissions.

Plug-in to a new way of thinking

or an increasing number of New Zealanders, especially those with specific commuter or transport needs, going electric is helping them reduce transport emissions.

Latest figures from EECA (the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) showed 44 percent of New Zealanders are likely to consider an electric or plug-in electric vehicle as their next purchase.

New rebates available to anyone purchasing a Electric Vehicle (EV) or plug-in hybrid EV – up to

, 25fornewvehiclesandupto 3,450forused, is also something to consider when weighing your options.

ut new cost savings are not the only reason New Zealanders are switching. Low-emission vehicles are proven to be cleaner, uieter, and cheaper to run.

hey re also proving convenient – given you can charge your vehicle at home, and now for longer trips there are public chargers nearly every 5 km on most of the state highway network.

Choosing more active transport options

A high-impact way to reduce individual carbon footprints for many New Zealanders is to choose alternatives to driving that work for your lifestyle such as public transport. Right now, it s also more achievable, particularly for those in urban centres with access to public transport options. Public transport fares are currently half price and major cities have increased bus and train routes.

EECA research shows that 55 percent of people would like to walk or cycle more and around twothirds of our vehicle trips are less than km – a manageable distance by bike or e-bike. Additionally, cycling is getting easier, safer and more accessible. According to Waka Kotahi, there are now about 3400 km of cycleways across Aotearoa.

Hybrid vehicles can be a stepping stone

Around 11,000 new and used plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have been registered in New Zealand since 2012, and around 10 times as many conventional petrol hybrids (which have a small battery but do not plug in to charge). PHEVs are very fuel-efficient, but even a conventional hybrid is more fuel-efficient than a comparable petrol car and produces fewer carbon emissions.

any are also eligible for the Clean Car Discount.

Making a start

Researching is a good first step. Explore all your transport options at genless.govt.nz.

or information on the cost comparisons between ero and low-emission cars, and regular vehicles, en Less s Vehicle otal Cost of

wnership calculator will help you work out how much money and emissions you will save by buying and running an EV, compared to a petrol or diesel vehicle.

ou can calculate your own carbon footprint by completing a uture it.n survey.

A new website by Drive Electric – a not-forprofit group supporting the uptake of e-mobility – enables users to search and compare all new EVs on the market. or anyone interested in a new or used electric vehicle, whether for home or business, the site is a useful place to visit to support decisionmaking.