New Zealand: Transport
Solar plane makes history
27 Jul 2016
Solar Impulse 2 has completed the first round-the-world flight by a solar-powered aeroplane, after touching down in Abu Dhabi.
London Mayor targets tube network
27 Jul 2016
The new Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is in the process of securing a licence to provide “clean energy” for London tube stations.
EPA finding clears way for limit on aircraft emissions
26 Jul 2016
The Environmental Protection Agency has declared that jet engine exhaust endangers public health by contributing to climate change, a key milestone as it works to develop regulations that will cut carbon emissions from commercial aircraft.
Tesla unveils plans for new vehicle types
22 Jul 2016
Tesla Motors has outlined a new model for vehicle sharing and disclosed plans for several new electric vehicles, including much heavier trucks.
Nations urged to back airlines carbon scheme
22 Jul 2016
Governments are being urged to support a proposed United Nations carbon offset scheme to ensure airlines can tackle climate change at a global level.
Audi plans e-car push to put heat on Tesla
21 Jul 2016
Audi will aim for electric cars to account for a quarter of its sales by 2025 as part of a strategic overhaul following the emissions scandal at parent Volkswagen Group, company sources said, in a move that could step up the challenge to Tesla Motors.
Aviation industry preparing for ‘eleventh hour’ deal
14 Jul 2016
An agreement on curbing emissions from international flights will be reached at the ICAO general assembly this year, according to industry sources, while biofuels continue to struggle to emerge as a long-term solution for greening the sector.
Toyota to import used hybrids to fill market gap
13 Jul 2016
Toyota says it will import second-hand Prius plug-in hybrids to meet what it sees as a gap in the market for “reasonably priced” low-emissions vehicles.
VW emissions scandal fuels corporate doubts
11 Jul 2016
Volkswagen has told the US Department of Justice that it will be paying nearly $15 billion in an effort to settle claims made by motorists in the US following the scandal over vehicle emissions.
Road emissions rising ... at just the wrong time
8 Jul 2016
New Zealand’s transport emissions are expected to increase at the very time they need to fall to meet the country’s Paris Agreement target, a new analysis shows.
London to make dirty cars pay
7 Jul 2016
Older, dirtier cars will have to pay a £10 pollution charge to drive in central London, according to plans set out by Lord Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Paris bans old polluting cars
6 Jul 2016
Paris has banned old polluting cars from the streets as part of its efforts to combat air pollution.
BIKEBAHN: Germany building world’s biggest bicycle highway
1 Jul 2016
With the rise of popularity of e-bikes, Germany is building the world’s biggest bicycle “autobahn” of 62-miles, connecting 10 cities.
Why electric cars need to boost market share
30 Jun 2016
Electric vehicles will need to increase their combined market share to 16 per cent by 2020 to achieve the aggressive fuel economy standards set by regulators, according to new research by the World Energy Council.
Rolls-Royce sets 2020 for crewless cargo ships
28 Jun 2016
Massive crewless cargo ships plying the world's oceans may sound far-fetched, but Rolls-Royce has been working on the idea for a number of years and now says it expects the first remotely controlled vessels to be in operation by 2020.
Sweden tests world’s first electric road
27 Jun 2016
Sweden just opened a test electric road of two kilometres, which allows electric vehicles to connect to an overhead system similar to light rail.
Cars buck downward trend of EU carbon emissions
23 Jun 2016
Road transport has bucked a downward trend in European greenhouse gas emissions, growing by 17 per cent between 1990 and 2014, at the same time that emissions from other sectors fell by almost a quarter.
BMW beats Tesla to LAPD electric car contract
23 Jun 2016
German automaker BMW has beaten California-based Tesla Motors by winning a contract to supply the Los Angeles Police Department with 100 electric cars.
Energy minister is electrifying
20 Jun 2016
Transport, Energy and Associate Climate Change Minister Simon Bridges is putting his money where his mouth is – he’s buying an electric car.
Hog will be electric in five years
16 Jun 2016
Harley-Davidson says an electric model is coming within the next five years.
Nissan eyes bioethanol EV
15 Jun 2016
Nissan drivers could one day be running their car on electricity created inside the vehicle from bioethanol fuel.
Beijing records highest number of EV sales
14 Jun 2016
Beijing has recorded the highest ever number of requests for electric vehicle registration - 17,600.
CRUISE CONTROL: Lax liners ingore environment rules
10 Jun 2016
Many of the cruise ships visiting New Zealand fail to meet basic environmental standards, a new report shows.
Ontario to offer e-car rebates in $6.5b carbon plan
10 Jun 2016
Ontario will spend as much as $NZ9.1 billion through 2020 to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, betting big on electric vehicles with rebates of as much as $15,500 a car and 500 charging stations to spur sales.
CARBON COST: Govt ignores roading impact
8 Jun 2016
The Government sought no advice on whether building major new roads would affect greenhouse gas emissions, documents show.
Airlines accused of backsliding on climate deal
7 Jun 2016
Leading air carriers have claimed they would support a new market-based scheme to curb emissions – but many remain unconvinced.
Bye-bye bike, Postman Pat will soon drive a Paxster
3 Jun 2016
New Zealand Post’s first electric vans have arrived.
VW to make big electric-car commitment
3 Jun 2016
Volkswagen is reportedly considering building its own battery factory as part of a large commitment to electric cars. The company is targeting sales of one million electric cars within 10 years.
Volvo concept trucks cut fuel by a third
3 Jun 2016
A Volvo project, which already has returned fuel cuts of 30 per cent, ultimately aims to double long-haul truck efficiency through aerodynamic and other fuel-saving features.
Road taxes will pay for trains under Green government
25 May 2016
A Green government would fund rail from taxes, with an aim of getting half of the country’s total freight off roads by 2027.
Hyundai plans 250-mile EV for 2020
25 May 2016
Carmaker Hyundai is designing an electric vehicle with a 250-mile range for 2020.
Punish the dirty drivers, urges e-car advocate
24 May 2016
The Government should fine people buying fossil fuel-burning vehicles and give the money to people who buy clean electric vehicles, says Waikato University’s professor of law.
Global EV sales will increase fivefold within five years
24 May 2016
Global electric vehicle revenue will likely reach $58 billion in 2021, representing a fivefold increase from 2015.
Supersized ship, supersized pollution problem
23 May 2016
As Harmony of the Seas sets sail from Southampton docks today she will leave behind a trail of pollution – a toxic problem that is growing as the cruise industry and its ships get ever bigger.
Colorado e-car fans to get $5000 incentive
19 May 2016
Colorado people looking to buy electric vehicles in the state will soon have access to a $5000 incentive.
Rich and poor divided over aviation emissions deal
18 May 2016
Details of a global carbon offsetting scheme for planes are up in the air after an inconclusive meeting in Montreal last week.
UN seen as likely choice for airline pollution cuts
13 May 2016
A carbon market run by the United Nations is emerging as the most probable supplier of the emissions credits necessary to curb greenhouse gas pollution from the world's airline industry, according to a group that develops ways to verify carbon reductions.
China and US set for airline emissions clash
12 May 2016
China and the US are set for a fight over the split of responsibilities for cutting airline emissions at a UN meet starting today.
Japan has more charge points than petrol stations
11 May 2016
Japan has more electric car charging stops than petrol stations, according to a recent survey by Nissan.
GM and Lyft to test self-driving electric taxis
9 May 2016
General Motors and Lyft within a year will begin testing a fleet of self-driving electric taxis on public roads, a move central to the companies’ joint efforts to challenge Silicon Valley giants in the battle to reshape the auto industry.
Long road ahead for EVs, says energy expert
6 May 2016
The Government’s plan to get 64,000 electric cars on the road by 2021 will cut New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions by just 0.01 per cent.
We've made owning e-cars easier, claims minister
6 May 2016
Transport Minister Simon Bridges says his electric-vehicle policy will remove barriers that have prevented businesses and households switching to electric vehicles.
E-CARS: Tracey's got one, so has Jenny; Julie Anne doesn't bother with a car at all
6 May 2016
Politicians are fond of talking up electric vehicles, but not many of them are putting their money where their mouths are.
Courier giant ushers in aviation biofuels drive
5 May 2016
The world’s largest express transportation company, FedEx, is pioneering the use of sustainable aviation fuels through a new partnership which will see millions of gallons of biofuel produced from waste wood biomass.
At last, Government to reveal plan for electric cars
4 May 2016
The Government will unveil its electric vehicle policy tomorrow.
... and this is what the country expects to see
4 May 2016
Higher carbon prices and clear government policy are two of the measures needed to get New Zealanders to switch to electric cars, the Royal Society says.
Ontario acts to allay car fears over climate plan
3 May 2016
The Ontario government has moved to reassure the auto sector that it considers the industry crucial to the province’s economy amid a controversy stirred up by a draft action plan on climate change and comments critical of auto companies and executives by Environment Minister Glen Murray.
VW and Shell try to block Europe's drive for electric cars
2 May 2016
VW and Shell have united to try to block Europe’s push for electric cars and more efficient cars, saying biofuels should be at heart of efforts to green the industry instead.
Crewless ships could trim trade’s carbon footprint
2 May 2016
Crewless ships would use up to 15 per cent less fuel, engineers estimate, and could be running by the end of the decade
Germany plans $1.4bn boost for e-cars
29 Apr 2016
The German Government has reached a deal with automakers to jointly spend $1.4 billion on incentives to boost sluggish electric-car sales.
Local council shakeup will weaken environmental protection, say critics
Wed 26 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government’s sweeping overhaul of local councils threatens to erode hard-won environmental protections, warning that stripping regional councils of directly elected governance will weaken oversight of freshwater, biodiversity and land-use decisions.
‘Highly uncertain’ ETS hampers Genesis biomass plans
Fri 28 Nov 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | “Highly uncertain” New Zealand carbon prices and market settings are identified as a commercial threat by Genesis Energy to its planned use of biomass to replace coal and gas at its Huntly power station by 2028.
Marex invests in methane-busting biotech, hopes to kickstart NZ methane credits
Thu 27 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | NASDAQ-listed financial services group Marex has taken a minority stake in Ruminant Biotech, an Auckland-based agritech startup, with a view to kick-starting Marex’s methane-based carbon credits trading business in New Zealand.
Mounting emissions due to Government decisions
20 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Coalition Government’s climate policies have added a whopping 26 million tonnes of emissions out to 2030, according to new analysis of Government projections.
Indigenous land cover shrinking as urban areas expand
Mon 24 Nov 2025
Indigenous land cover in Aotearoa New Zealand has continued its long-term decline, with new figures from Stats NZ revealing a further loss of native ecosystems as urban development and industrial activity increase.
Investors must support positive climate-tech
Fri 28 Nov 2025
OPINION: We need better leadership than the current ‘climate opportunism’ that is rife in the Beehive, and we need to back a marketplace that will make it happen, writes Rob Campbell.
