Ms Corson said Zilch had been talking to the Eastland Group for over five years and it was time that those talks came to fruition.
The Gisborne born and bred woman co-founded Zilch in 2019.
She said that every year the petro chemical industry rakes in over $100 million from the Gisborne region.
“That is a huge chunk of money that leaves the district,” she said. “I was born here and I'd like to come back and live here. I want to see those profits stay in the region rather than go offshore.
“It's all about how we can improve this district and electric vehicles are just the beginning to a solution for a better future.”
Through the E-maas model, interested businesses would make a monthly payment for cars to be available to staff for both business and private bookings.
At the same time, businesses would not have to pay fringe benefit taxes and also benefit from a 50 percent private revenue which would be rebated back to their business.
“That's how the profit stays in the region.”
Ms Corson said that unlike houses, cars were a depreciating asset. Coupled with the fact they were powered by petrol or diesel, they were not a sustainable option.
An average car pumps out about 4.6 tonnes of carbon a year, meaning the transport sector contributes about 20 percent of the New Zealand carbon footprint, she said.
The idea for the company came in 2015, when Ms Corson was working in Auckland.
She and her business partner were running a vehicle-leasing fleet management business.
From the GPS systems in their vehicles they could see that many of the cars were sitting in carparks all day.
“We thought we have to do something smarter than just lease cars that sit in carparks all day. It's just a waste of capital. That's how Zilch started.”
Ms Corson said the company was now looking to secure a central government funding specific to Tairāwhiti to accelerate EV uptake in the region.
“This is for businesses, iwi and the community groups. If successful, for every business and organisation that participates in the EV pilot within Tairāwhiti, a similar number of highly subsidised EVs will be made available to Tairāwhiti iwi and community groups.”
Rau Tipu Rau Ora integration and operations manager Harley Dibble said the initiative was a “fantastic sharing economy opportunity for the region” and was a great example of business-led climate action.
Trust Tairāwhiti is funding a Zilch Hyundai Kona for Tairāwhiti businesses to test-drive the concept for a week at a time.
“This is part of Trust Tairāwhiti's strategic commitment to supporting businesses to take climate action,” Mr Dibble said.
The project aligned with the trust's Tairāwhiti Economic Action Plan strategic priority to transition to a low emissions economy in an equitable way.
“It has also received the endorsement of the Rau Tipu Rau Ora (RTRO) regional government group which includes the Mayor, and iwi, Trust Tairāwhiti, Eastland Group and EIT chairpersons.
“The RTRO Governance Group exists to support opportunities that lift the wellbeing and prosperity of whanau, businesses, and communities in Tairāwhiti through collaborative action.”
Ms Corson said Zilch expected confirmation from the government in early September.
Orders need to be placed by October 31 to be eligible for this offering, and they will be deployed March-May 2023.
“Due to these timeframes, we are seeking initial expression of interest in joining this project. Zilch will project-manage the entire process, including charger installation (where required) and delivery of vehicles.”
For further information about the Zilch test-drive opportunity for businesses and the proposal overall contact Harley Dibble
