A new electric vehicle (EV) has been added to the Taupō District Council car pool fleet.
With a range of up to 230 kilometres, the new Hyundai Ioniq enables Council staff to commute comfortably within our district while at the same time helping to reduce the council's carbon footprint.
The Ioniq comes in both hybrid petrol-electric and fully electric versions, with the council opting for the fully electric option, which was purchased at a discounted rate through central government.
Chief executive officer Gareth Green says the new EV is a welcome addition to the fleet and would have a dedicated charging station to serve it.
"We're excited about having this addition to our fleet, it makes sense both environmentally and financially. With 20 per cent of New Zealand's electricity coming from the Taupō District, it's only natural for us to be using EVs, and we look forward to adding more as new vehicles are needed."
Fleet manager Rob Service said the improvements in technology, particularly around the life cycle of batteries had increased considerably in just the last few years and EV were now viable alternatives to traditional petrol or diesel engines.
"With a range of over 230 kilometres the Ioniq is more than capable of getting us around the district, it's nice and quiet, and I think we're going to see more of these on our roads very soon."
