Electric cars may add spark to World Cup

Footy fans in Wellington for the Rugby World Cup could be zipping around the city in electric vehicles hired from prominent tourist spots.

The electric vehicles would be recharged at a handful of stations in city streets and car parking buildings, or through any standard three-pin power socket.

One charge would provide enough juice to travel 160 kilometres.

Wellington City Council has included $50,000 for the project in its draft annual plan, which the public gets a chance to comment on before it is adopted. Councillors will discuss the matter tonight.

The funding would be used to install charging facilities and to lease electric vehicles.

The cars would be available for public hire at tourist entry points such as Wellington Airport, the Interisland ferry terminal and cruise ship berths.

The use of electric vehicles is being promoted by the council as a way to cut greenhouse gas emissions and position the city as a leader in tackling climate change.

The pilot electric vehicle project is expected to be operational in time for the start of the Rugby World Cup in September next year.

Mayor Kerry Prendergast said it was not yet known how many vehicles could be leased before the World Cup.

"[But] what a great opportunity to showcase electric vehicles with international tourists coming into the city."

Discussions have already been held with electric car manufacturers Toyota and Mitsubishi, which have cars that travel up to 160 kilometres on a single overnight charge. They include the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the Toyota FT-EV.

"We know there aren't many people around the city who would do more than 160 kilometres driving in a day," Ms Prendergast said.

It is hoped that the pilot scheme will lead to people deciding to use electric vehicles that would be charged overnight at owners' homes.

"But you would need to have two or three recharging stations [in the city] for people who are caught short and we are looking at putting that into our district plan."

However, Ms Prendergast said that Wellington shouldn't really be expected to introduce electric cars by itself.

"The whole of Local Government New Zealand, and arguably Australasia, should be doing this together. Imagine the buying power if Local Government got together and went to a Toyota or Mitsubishi."

Work to introduce to Wellington another pollution-busting innovation – the Copenhagen Wheel – is continuing, Ms Prendergast said.

The wheel converts an ordinary bicycle into a smart, green, muscle-electric hybrid. It captures energy normally lost while pedalling and braking and stores it in a motor for when help is needed, such as going uphill. Sensors measure pollution, traffic congestion, road conditions, temperature and effort expended.

It acts as a security device, which is locked and unlocked by smart phone.

Ms Prendergast saw the wheel first-hand last year while attending the United Nations Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen.

Meanwhile, Air New Zealand is gearing up to add 10 per cent more seats on domestic routes early next year and will add even more during the Rugby World Cup.

Demand for seats is growing, with the highest load factors on record in January.

Air New Zealand said that later in 2011 it would bump up capacity another 26 per cent for the duration of the World Cup, to cope with the forecast demand from New Zealanders and overseas travellers.

- © Fairfax NZ News