Luke Kirkness: It's not the time to plug into new electric vehicle scheme

It's hoped a fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles would be better for the environment. Photo / George Novak

Opinion:

The world faces many problems today but the Covid-19 pandemic is probably at the peak for many.

Virus cases continue to swell in parts of the globe, with our neighbours Australia staring down the barrel of another outbreak.

Governments are busy trying to get citizens vaccinated while the companies creating the vaccines are working around the clock to meet demand.

New Zealand's borders remain closed for non-residents or citizens, resulting in significant skilled labour shortages across many sectors.

These problems are well documented, as are those surrounding gangs, the war on drugs, the housing crisis, the cost of living and climate change.

One way this Government hopes to tackle the climate change issue is the Clean Car Discount, which is about to be implemented across New Zealand.

Will people be happy to queue for charging stations? I don't think so. Photo / Jason Oxenham

It's hoped the scheme will encourage drivers to switch to electric vehicles and hybrids, but it hasn't been met with welcome arms.

Under the scheme, imported cars could be slapped with charge fees of up to $5175 and used to subsidise discounts up to $8625 of people buying EVs, hybrids and other low-pollution cars.

It was revealed yesterday up to 107,400 motorists could be hit with these charges next year.

It comes after Niwa revealed yesterday June was New Zealand's warmest ever.

However, the timeframe for these changes is too narrow, in my view, as the country is far from ready for a market to be dominated by EVs or hybrids.

What are people who use their vehicles as part of their work like those in trades or the agriculture sector to do?

How about fishers who need to tow their boats to the ramp? Or hunters who need to drive into the hilly backcountry?

I'd like to think most people who run petrol- or diesel-powered vehicles have a genuine need in owning them, however, there will be those that don't.

For people living in urban settings, an EV or hybrid makes a lot of sense and I can see the appeal. I wouldn't mind replacing my Corolla with one.

However, my biggest issue would be not having the means to charge my EV at home.

The new scheme hasn't been a strong hit in rural communities and it's not hard to see why. Photo / Rod Emmerson

Our flat doesn't have a garage and running an extension cord out a window or door is far from practical.

I'd need to head to a public charging port to boost the battery. What if someone is already using it and there's a queue?

Take a look at our streets or parks where it's plainly evident people are too lazy to find a rubbish bin for their litter.

I struggle to believe people would be willing to wait their turn when they could just buy a fossil-fuel-powered vehicle that takes less than five minutes to fill up.

Not needing to pay exorbitant amounts for fuel would be a nice touch but without fuel taxes or road user charges, where will the money to maintain our roads come from?

And then there's the issue surrounding the EV batteries when they run out and how dangerous they are to the environment.

Yes, action is needed on climate change and if you know, then when do you take action? I'm not sure but I feel there are still problems closer to home that need addressing.