A fledgling Manawatu company is hoping to take a slice of the burgeoning electric commercial vehicle market worth potentially billions of dollars per annum. 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 advantage of zero emissions.

Home-grown technology. The venture’s origins date back to 2002 when the Manawatu Tram Trust, local businesses and Massey University began researching and planning for a trackless tram for the city. Initial research was unable to source a suitable “clean green” zero emission vehicle for the Tram. However, they found the core technology does exist, sufficient for ZEV to now satisfy all their requirements in building and deploying heavy electric vehicles. Chamber of Commerce Board member, Andrew Rushworth, explains,”By leveraging existing engineering capability, 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.”

Huge growth market. In 2007, 5,768 transport vehicles over 7.5 tonnes were registered in NZ and the global market for light trucks is forecast at 4.7m units in 2009/2010. “The more of these we can convert to NZ-built Battery Electric, operating on NZ-generated clean electricity, the better off everyone will be.” He believes the initiative will go a long way to improving NZ’s balance of trade, while addressing obligations under Kyoto, creating new commercial opportunities, and ensuring NZ continues to lead in its clean green image.

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