Electric cars in Christchurch by 2012

Electric cars may be on Christchurch streets by 2012, with plans that the city be the first in New Zealand to create a charge-point network.

The Christchurch City Council and the Renault-Nissan Alliance have joined forces to introduce zero-emission vehicles to the city, with plans to launch the electric Leaf car in 2012.

Nissan says the Leaf model will be ideal for Christchurch. Promoted as the world's first affordable, zero-emission car, the medium-sized hatchback can carry five adults.

It runs off a lithium-ion battery and has a 160 kilometre range. Motorists will be able to charge the car at home and eventually from charge points around the city.

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said he wanted the city to be the first in New Zealand with an integrated network for electric cars.

"This is a big moment for the city," he said. "It's the beginning of a transition, making it easier to use vehicles powered by electricity. In a sense this is one of the first shifts that we have begun to make.

"Ultimately, charging points [around the city] are what we want. That provides an opportunity for private business to begin to think about."

Another initiative was to give a second hour of free parking in council car parks to owners of energy-efficient vehicles, Parker said.

Nissan New Zealand marketing operations manager Peter Merrie said Christchurch was the "most obvious" city to work with regarding an electric car.

"Christchurch has a number of geographic advantages ... the city is pretty flat, and the council is pretty progressive in terms of this sort of thing and willing to be involved at the forefront of the issues," Merrie said. "You've got a sustainability policy – this fits in nicely with that."

A working group would be set up – with representatives from the council, Nissan, electricity suppliers and other parties – to consider areas of co-operation.

Sustainable Living Education Trust spokesman Rhys Taylor cautiously welcomed the electric-car option in Christchurch. "But you still need to think, whatever it is that powers your car, do you have to use the car for the journey?"

Orion New Zealand chief executive Roger Sutton said the network company had been planning for electric cars. "One of our planning scenarios for developing our network assumes a significant number, thousands, of electric cars in Christchurch within 10 years."

- © Fairfax NZ News