Spotlight on energy projects

EECA follows and shares the progress of clean and clever energy projects around New Zealand, particularly if we have contributed co-funding to the project. 

KiwiHarvest

Local truck team JAC has donated an electric truck to help KiwiHarvest distribute 400,000 extra meals to communities in Auckland each year.

In the first month, the chilled EV truck exceeded expectations, completing its entire daily run of food collections and drop-offs using only 20 to 25% of the battery.

KiwiHarvest's new 100% electric truck will boost operations across Auckland, delivering 400,000 extra meals a year, according to KiwiHarvest chief executive Angela Calver.

“As a food rescue organisation, KiwiHarvest collects food that is unable to be sold for a variety of reasons, e.g. short-dated, out of spec, surplus, and we redistribute this to charities who provide both food and wrap-around support services. KiwiHarvest feeds 9,500 people every week, and we recently celebrated redistributing 14 million kgs of food waste saved,” says Calver.

“Saving good food from landfill while operating sustainably is central to our mission so the use of a zero-emissions truck not only enables us to rescue more, it also helps us reduce our carbon footprint.”

KiwiHarvest operates in Auckland, Dunedin, Queenstown, and Invercargill. To make the most of the EV, it's been assigned an urban Auckland route with start-stop traffic. Using EROAD, KiwiHarvest will be able to measure its full emissions reduction.

With its 200+ km range, the JAC truck is ideal for urban last-mile delivery. It offers a range of Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) categories, including a 6 t that can be driven on a car licence, as well as 7.5 t and 9 t, and various body types, such as the freezer box used by KiwiHarvest.

The JAC truck was co-funded by the Government’s Low Emissions Heavy Vehicle Fund, administered by EECA. EV trucks are eligible for grants of up to 25% off the cab chassis price, capped at NZD 35,000.

Visit the Low Emissions Heavy Vehicle Fund for more information about co-funding opportunities.

Low Emissions Heavy Vehicle Fund

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