EV star in Kiwi doco

Aucklander Steve West charging his electric Tesla P85+ car on the Town Basin canopy bridge. A fleet of electric vehicles convoyed to Bluff in April this year to promote the the low cost of running EVs. Photo / John Stone

Northpower is working with Channel North and EECA to complete a mini-documentary on the first two years of the electric vehicle sector's journey in New Zealand.

The documentary, which is being co-funded by Northpower and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, is expected to air in Auckland, Wellington and Whangarei next month.

Northpower spokesman Steve Macmillan said the 20-30 minute documentary starts from 2014 when Northpower put in New Zealand's first EV fast charger in Whangarei and includes a history of people passionate about electric vehicles, the growth of the EV fleet in New Zealand and the growth of the infrastructure needed for EVs.

"One emphasis in the documentary is that if people want to help the environment then they need to invest in an EV rather than solar energy.

"There is an immediate return on EVs that doesn't happen with solar energy."

The documentary includes scenes with Chelsea Sexton, one of the key experts featured in the 2006 documentary film Who Killed the Electric Car?. She will be at the launch of the documentary.

Filming, which was mainly done in Whangarei and Auckland, has finished and is now in the hands of an editing team.