Projects that include deploying EV car sharing and electric grocery delivery vans are set to receive a share of funds from the New Zealand Government.

15 projects have been conditionally approved to receive around NZ$3.5m in funding.

A total of 15 projects have been conditionally approved to receive around NZ$3.5m from the Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund, which was established as part of a package of initiatives to help stimulate electric vehicle uptake and meet the target of 64,000 electric vehicles on New Zealand roads by 2021.

Projects given conditional approval include from Demonstration of 50 electric vehicle car share scheme the Mevo project, which will demonstrate a car sharing fleet of 50 high quality plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in Wellington’s central business district.

In addition, Foodstuffs (NZ) Ltd, a group of grocery distributor co-operatives, will deploy 28 100% electric delivery vans at a range of stores throughout New Zealand and install public charging stations at some of the supermarkets where these vans are based.

Meanwhile Auckland Transport is to receive funds for a number of projects, including one to replace two existing street poles with Smart Poles to showcase the potential for the technology and a scheme to give EVs priority parking and installing 60 charging stations at Auckland Transport public parking and park and ride sites across the region.

The full list of conditionally approved projects is available here.

The second funding round, with up to NZ$6m available, is likely to open for applications in late February/March 2017.  For more information about the fund, click here.