New Zealand: Transport
EV projects win $3m in Government funding
23 Jan 2018
Twenty new electric vehicle projects, including a 58-tonne truck to carry dairy products and developing a qualification for EV technicians, are to receive government funding.
SWITCHED ON: Norway wants short electric flights by 2040
23 Jan 2018
All of Norway’s short-haul airliners should be entirely electric by 2040, says the country’s airport operator, cementing the Nordic nation’s role as a pioneer in the field of electric transport.
Paris summit will call for shipping to meet climate goals
12 Dec 2017
The shipping industry will be urged to align with international climate goals under a declaration to be launched at a climate summit in Paris today.
Automakers worry over how many will buy their e-cars
7 Dec 2017
Carmakers putting huge investment into electric vehicles at the behest of governments a having to live with the fear of potentially choking on unsold inventories.
Tesla isn’t the only company creating cool electric vehicles
6 Dec 2017
Some of the world’s most established carmakers are starting to reveal what they’ve been working on for the EV world.
E-cars cheaper all round than petrol or diesel
5 Dec 2017
Pure electric cars cost less over four years than petrol or diesel cars in the UK, US and Japan, researchers say, but China is set to lead the market.
A Tesla too costly? An e-bike might be your answer
4 Dec 2017
Electric cars remain something of a novelty, commanding premium prices and presenting charging challenges, but another kind of electric vehicle has been gaining momentum: the e-bike.
Big businesses combine to deliver hybrid e-jet
1 Dec 2017
A partnership between Rolls-Royce, Airbus and Siemens aims to commission a hybrid electric aircraft prototype by 2020.
One in six new cars will be electric by 2025
30 Nov 2017
Almost every sixth car sold in the world will be electric by 2025 ... and those cars are more likely to be emblazoned with Tesla's logo than BMW's.
Solar-powered jets come a step closer
29 Nov 2017
Scientists are closer to making solar-powered jets a reality. They now know how to make jet fuel out of air, sunlight and water.
Govt on track to keep KiwiRail trains electric
27 Nov 2017
The Government is in talks to keep electric locomotives on the main trunk line.
Musk unveils electric truck ... and a surprise sports car
20 Nov 2017
Elon Musk has unveiled Tesla’s first electric semi-truck at an event in Los Angeles that also included the surprise reveal of a new Tesla sports car.
Why we can't keep on flying
7 Nov 2017
Staying home is going to be the new normal if we're going to "bend the curve"on carbon emissions.
Dockless bikes and the tragedy of the commons
6 Nov 2017
WASHING DC has become the latest testing ground for what happens when technology and good intentions meet the real world.
China’s largest ride-hailing company to build its own electric-vehicles charging network
6 Nov 2017
CHINA'S LARGEST ride-sharing company is to build its own electric-vehicle charging network.
How double-dealing killed off the electric bus
31 Oct 2017
The electric bus would have let Londoners enjoy clean air early in the 20th century, saving but for the dishonesty and double-dealing which promoted the internal combustion engine instead.
We deliberately misled the public, says shipping executive
30 Oct 2017
Shipping lobbyists at UN talks were "prostitutes employed by our racket to try to put one over on the public’, says a marine industry veteran.
Toyota hooks up with Mazda and Denso to make e-cars
24 Oct 2017
Toyota, Mazda, and Denso will jointly establish a new company to develop zero-emission electric cars.
New aircraft biofuels plan would 'destroy rainforests'
16 Oct 2017
A new plan to accelerate production of biofuels for passenger planes has drawn stinging criticism from environmentalists who argue that most of the world’s rainforests might have to be cleared to produce the necessary crops.
Toyota urges NZ to get out of big-emitting cars
10 Oct 2017
New Zealanders are buying bigger cars, damaging the country’s chances of cutting greenhouse gas emissions, say Toyota New Zealand chief Alistair Davis.
Jobs, tax and politics ... three ways e-cars will change us
10 Oct 2017
Vehicle manufacturers, the oil industry and governments are starting to wake up to the disruption that electric cars could bring about.
Ford to cut costs and back trucks and electric cars
6 Oct 2017
Ford plans to slash $14 billion in costs over the next five years and shift capital investment away from sedans and internal combustion engines to develop more trucks and electric and hybrid cars.
It's a big task keeping aircraft running in a warming world
3 Oct 2017
Climate change is forcing airport planners to rethink plane and runway design, since many of them are susceptible to excessive heat and at risk of sea level rise from coasts and rivers.
How electric cars can be recharged for free
3 Oct 2017
Electric car owners in the UK will be paid for letting an energy company use their vehicle’s battery.
Z Energy backs car-sharing company
29 Sep 2017
Z Energy is investing in the carbon-positive car-sharing company Mevo.
EasyJet backs plans for electric planes
28 Sep 2017
EasyJet is backing plans to develop commercial passenger aircraft powered by electric batteries instead of conventional aero engines.
Dyson to invest billions in 'radically different' e-car
27 Sep 2017
British inventor Sir James Dyson has announced plans to build an electric car that will be “radically different” from current models and go on sale in 2020.
Electric cars could be biggest disruption since the iPhone
25 Sep 2017
It’s been 10 years since Apple unleashed a surge of innovation that upended the mobile phone industry. Electric cars could be about to pull the same trick on Big Oil.
UN shipping chief hails progress on carbon emissions
19 Sep 2017
Countries are nearing agreement on how to tackle shipping’s carbon footprint, UN shipping chief Kitack Lim has told an industry conference, but resistance to a binding cap remains.
Silence rules as Frankfurt shows off electric cars
18 Sep 2017
When Angela Merkel addressed the Frankfurt motor show, it was not to a backdrop of revving engines but an exhibition of noiseless electric Golfs, South Korean hybrids and Japanese fuel-cell cars.
Mercedes ready to show its first hydrogen SUV
11 Sep 2017
Mercedes-Benz will unveil its first production-ready hydrogen car on Wednesday at the Frankfurt motor show.
Jaguar Land Rover to go electric or hybrid from 2020
8 Sep 2017
Jaguar Land Rover is the latest large carmaker to say it will stop launching new models solely powered by internal combustion engines.
Cruise ships have done nothing about pollution, report claims
6 Sep 2017
Cruise ships have done virtually nothing to reduce their pollution over the past year, with some still emitting as much particulate matter as a million cars a day, according to a new report.
BLACK-OUT: What was ministry advice on Kiwirail?
1 Sep 2017
Heavily redacted documents give little clue what advice the Ministry for the Environment gave the Government on the scrapping of KiwiRail's electric engines.
Europe rolls out tougher car emissions tests
1 Sep 2017
New on-road car emissions testing comes into force in the European Union tomorrow as regulators strive to prevent a repeat of Volkswagen’s diesel emissions scandal.
BMW to build all-electric version of the Mini Cooper
31 Aug 2017
BMW has confirmed that it will release a full-electric version of the iconic Mini Cooper by 2019.
Driverless cars could see rural sprawl of humankind
28 Aug 2017
Self-driving cars will change how we live, in all sorts of ways. But they won’t just affect humans – the coming revolution in autonomous transport has significant implications for wildlife as well.
BLUE GOLD: E-cars mean the world is going crazy for cobalt
25 Aug 2017
Niche metal cobalt - a key component in the new breed of e-car batteries - is leaving bigger names like copper and lithium in its dust and triggering an international hunt for new deposits.
Airlines' offsetting doesn't add up, says Consumer NZ
23 Aug 2017
Carbon offsetting by the two major domestic airlines operating in New Zealand doesn’t fully reflect carbon emissions caused by air travel, says Consumer New Zealand.
Intercity commuter trains would slash emissions
21 Aug 2017
A commuter-train service between Auckland and Hamilton could slash 6000 tonnes off New Zealand’s annual greenhouse gas emissions.
Hyundai confirms e-cars will be core business
18 Aug 2017
Hyundai has confirmed it is placing electric vehicles at the centre of its product strategy — one that includes plans for a premium long-distance electric car as it seeks to catch up to Tesla and other rivals.
Government changes mind and pushes for e-cars
14 Aug 2017
The Government is promising to make a third of its car fleet electric by 2021 – despite saying last year that cash-strapped government departments couldn’t afford to replace petrol cars, let alone buy more expensive electric cars.
E-CAR QUERY: What do we do with the dead batteries?
11 Aug 2017
Carmakers, recyclers and tech start-ups are working to solve the question of how to deal with lithium-ion batteries when they wear out.
Tesla drivers claim record of 1078 km on one charge
9 Aug 2017
Five members of the Italian Tesla owners club claim to have set a new distance record, travelling 1078 kilometres on a single charge in a Tesla Model S.
Roads could be covered with 'tunnels' to absorb pollution
4 Aug 2017
Major roads could be turned into tunnels covered with pollution-absorbing material in an effort to cut emission fumes and improve air quality.
Do petrol and diesel bans mean the death of biofuels?
1 Aug 2017
If cars running on fossil fuels will be substituted by electric cars, it could imply that all liquid transport fuels will be eliminated.
Britain sets 2040 for ban on diesel and petrol cars
27 Jul 2017
Britain will ban all new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2040 amid fears that rising levels of nitrogen oxide pose a major risk to public health.
It's not easy building electric cars
25 Jul 2017
Despite Tesla’s success, the high risks of mass-producing an electric car from scratch haven’t changed all that much.
European car makers plead with China to slow down
19 Jul 2017
Faced with China’s unwavering plan to accelerate the introduction of electric and hybrid cars, European manufacturers have joined forces with other global producers to plead with Beijing for a ‘less ambitious’ roadmap.
US utilities giving people cash for clean cars
19 Jul 2017
Carmakers, regulators, legislators and utilities are increasingly working together to boost sales of electric vehicles
Pacific Islands call for fossil fuel phase-out, NZ hangs back
Thu 23 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Pacific Islands nations have launched a landmark declaration for a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific, calling for a Fossil Fuel Treaty and urgent phase-out of fossil fuels, however New Zealand isn’t rushing to join the call.
Announcements expected soon on $200M gas fund
Fri 24 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Fossil fuel companies appear likely to take up a $200 million government fund to encourage additional oil and gas exploration, dashing lobbyist Business New Zealand’s hopes that it might be repurposed to underwrite industrial electrification.
Fonterra admits ‘100% grass-fed’ claim breached law in greenwashing row
2 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Fonterra has admitted its “100% New Zealand grass-fed” claims on Anchor butter were misleading and breached the law, settling a case brought by Greenpeace Aotearoa over packaging used between December 2023 and April 2025.
Climate pollution static but NZ still on track for first emissions budget, says MfE
17 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand is still on track to meet its first emissions budget, according to the Ministry for the Environment, despite the pace of emissions reductions slowing to a standstill.
Wilding conifers continue to plague Southland
17 Apr 2026
By Matthew Rosenberg, Local Democracy Reporter | Fast-spreading conifer trees are causing headaches in Southland as inconsistent funding continues to hinder control efforts.
Victorian Hydrogen announces Southland urea fertiliser project using coal
Wed 22 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Australian-based Victorian Hydrogen has announced it is developing a new 1.5 million-tonne-a-year urea fertiliser operation in Southland, which it will apply for under fast-track legislation.
