NZ Defence Force introduce EVs

21 June 2021

The NZDF plugging into more electric vehicles 

The NZDF is boosting its fleet of civilian electric vehicles (EVs). The Government’s State Sector Decarbonisation Fund recently announced $13.1 million of funding for more EVs.

For the NZDF, that included $783,000 for EVs and $199,000 for charging stations.

That means the NZDF can replace 32 of its 250 civilian vehicles with EVs during 2021 and 2022, and install 34 slow and nine fast EV charging stations. It is anticipated that the nine main camps and bases will start installing the charging stations from September 2021, with completion by December 2021.

EVs will be introduced to the fleet after that. The charging stations will also be available for private staff vehicles. Last September, two slow chargers were installed at Trentham Military Camp to trial how charging EVs might practically work with a shift and booking system. One NZDF Hyundai Ioniq and staff vehicles were part of the trial. The lessons learned from the trial are helping inform the roll out of charging stations at other locations.

“NZDF will have to play its part in the Government’s goal of increasing the number of EVs. We need charging infrastructure if we want electric fleet vehicles,” said Defence Estate and Infrastructure Group Head, Mark Brunton.

More details about the EV and charging station roll out will be publicised when details are available.

This information was taken, with permission, from the NZDF internal website.