Climate change  |  25 Jul 2022

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Nine battery electric trucks have hit the roads in Christchurch as part of a city council-led initiative aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

About the projects

The first project – the Civil Construction and Maintenance Services Project – involves five civil construction and maintenance services companies (Citycare Property, Fulton Hogan Ltd, HEB Construction Ltd, Higgins Contractors Ltd, and Isaac Construction Ltd) that work for the Council. They will use specialist battery electric trucks to perform their contracted services.

The second project – the Shopping District Battery Electric Truck Delivery Services Project - involves commercial property owners investigating the opportunity of having zero exhaust emission areas for delivery vehicles 

Four transport companies - Bidfood Ltd, Hall’s, PBT Transport Ltd and Toll New Zealand - will be using battery electric trucks to deliver goods to the Papanui shopping district, with both Northlands and Northlink Shopping Centres involved, and to the Christchurch Airport shopping district.

EROAD is supporting both projects.

The FUSO eCanter trucks are being leased by nine companies who signed on to take part in two projects launched by the Council to help it achieve its goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions for the district by 2030.

“The projects aim to show what’s possible with the electrification of commercial trucks. With transport making up the majority of our district’s emissions it’s critical that we find a path towards zero exhaust emission trucks, in addition to battery electric passenger cars,” says Christchurch City Council Resource Efficiency Manager Kevin Crutchley.

Mr Crutchley says both projects are great examples of the Council and businesses working together on a common objective to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“We’re gathering practical learnings from the projects so that truck operators can see how to best use battery electric truck technology for their operations.”

“It’s important to note that all equipment and plant use from these battery electric vehicles will have zero exhaust emissions,’’ Mr Crutchley says.

More than $3 million is being invested in the two projects, with funding coming from the nine companies leasing the trucks, the  Low Emission Transport Fund (administered by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) and from EROAD. The trucks are leased through TR Group.

Mercury NZ is also supplying some funding towards on-route truck charging infrastructure as part of the shopping district delivery services project.