An electric vehicle charging station in Rotorua. Photo / Ben Fraser
In response to the letter Its Electric Avenue for the Wealthy by Brian Leyland, published on October 18. I would like to know what all these subsidies for EV owners are, that Brian refers to, and in what way are they paid for, as he claims, by the poor?
China is the worlds leader when it comes to battery electric vehicles (EVs) mainly due to the extreme levels of air pollution the country suffers and the steeply rising cost of healthcare for those people made sick by carcinogenic vehicle fumes. The cancer arm of the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced, a number of years ago, that exhaust fumes from both petrol and diesel vehicles are carcinogenic.
Paris has already announced a date when it will cease to register petrol or diesel vehicles and plans only to allow EVs in the city after 2030. A number of cities in the UK, India and Germany are following suit and most notably Oxford in England is about to declare the city a zero pollution zone.
Norway already has about 50 per cent take-up of EVs on its roads and is aiming for 100 per cent.
Other countries are quickly waking up to the need to accommodate and encourage EV purchases.
I should add that an additional saving for EV drivers and the environment is that unlike petrol and diesel vehicles EVs dont need engine oil and filter changes every 10,000km or so.
Yes, EVs can be significantly more expensive to purchase compared to petrol or diesel vehicles and that is one reason why governments in many countries/states provide an attractive tax break. In New Zealand EVs are exempt road user charges (RUC) and may use restricted lanes in due course.
I would argue that incentives in New Zealand are not sufficiently attractive to grow the EV fleet.
One final point is that the New Zealand Transport Authority has utterly failed to enforce minimum standards regarding emissions of petrol and diesel road vehicles by not including a mandatory emissions test in its warrant of fitness (WOF).
If such a test was introduced the data collected would enable the proper management of New Zealands vehicular emissions.
Iain Seymour-Hart, New Windsor.
In response to Brian Leylands letter, six months ago I bought an electric vehicle. It was $11,950 including on-road costs, and is a 2011 Nissan Leaf. I love it - at such a low price for such a new car how could I not?
I love the Leafs rapid acceleration, zero emissions (both CO2 and noise) and the fact that it costs me next to nothing to run and maintain. I bought the Leaf to replace my familys second car, as a commuter car. My kids love it too. My opinion is that any family with two cars, wealthy or not, has no monetary excuse for the second car not to be an Electric Vehicle.
We need to leave the world a better place for our children, and in NZ driving an Electric Vehicle and eating less meat are two ways everyday Kiwis can reduce their impact on the climate. My Leaf is an import, and the Japanese government did subsidise the previous owner, however, the recent NZ governments have not subsidised Electric Vehicles, unlike in Norway.
Matt Harris, Ashburton.
Brian Leyland has it all wrong, there are no subsidies in New Zealand for electric cars, and we are going to pay road-user charges eventually. I am certainly not rich or even middle class, but I purchased an EV knowing I was doing something positive for my grandchildren and other peoples, including yours.
There is no better feeling than knowing youre not harming anyone by using a vehicle that is not contributing to climate change, not asphyxiating anyone else with diesel or petrol fumes etc. As for free parking, could you please tell me where that is? I would enjoy using it.
Try it, Brian, youll like it.
Kathleen Lafferty, Christchurch.
While it is great to read of the success of Lactobacillus spp. in successful treatment of peri-natal depression, would it not be better if the causes of reduced Lacto in the gut and other imbalances of the gut microbiome were addressed?
In addition to maternal depression, the imbalances mentioned are at the root of many neurotoxicological childhood problems including ASD, ADHD, behaviour problems, depression and suicide.
One of the main causes of loss of Lacto bugs is the use of antibiotics and their presence in food.
One antibiotic is present in many foods, especially prepared foods containing corn/maize, soy canola, cottonseed and their oils, and that is the herbicide glyphosate. Until MPI and EPA take steps to remove the commercial products that contain glyphosate and other toxic adjuvants and wetting agents, these problems will continue their meteoric rise. Our mothers and children demand no less and it needs pointing out that a basic human right is to have food and water free of pesticides.
Frank Rowson, Matamata.
Reading your article on the AA survey labelling NZ drivers as lazy and dangerous reminded me of another survey in which 85 per cent of NZ drivers considered themselves as above average as competent drivers.
This, of course, is an impossible statistic. What it means in practice is that around one third of the drivers you encounter on the road are actually below-average drivers who consider themselves to be above-average drivers. I suspect these are the very drivers who are most involved in speeding, tailgating, dangerous overtaking and the carnage on our roads.
Ill take a nervous driver who knows his or her limitations over an over-confident driver who doesnt any day.
Rob Bailey, Greenhithe.
Rachel Stewart wrote a very good article in Wednesdays Herald on New Zealands dreadful road deaths and injuries. She wrote about all the different scenarios but, I personally think speed is the worst offender, and secondly our shocking roads. I actually hadnt really thought much about our roads until I went to Spain and Portugal this year. Thanks to the EU their roads are a travellers dream. Not just the roads but their bridges, viaducts, tunnels, all amazing.
The speed limit is 120 on the open road but their signage lets everyone know if a bridge, tunnel, or a long bend is coming up and what speed to drop to. It certainly made me think about our awful, winding, narrow roads.
I know we have no EU to help us, but I dont think our road people do a very good job either.
Susan Lawrence, Kohimarama.
My daughter lives in Vancouver and they have a similar food waste collection to our new one with one huge exception. The supermarket stores Thrifty package their groceries etc into biodegradable brown paper bags which can then be used by people to put their food scraps into before placing in the wheelie bin. Keeps smells and food residue from the bins and all can be safely disposed of.
By the way, there is no cost for the brown paper bags. Too hard/simple for New Zealand to follow?
Kay Robinson, Henderson.
The intimidation, threatening or worse ... murder of investigative journalists is a major threat to all our democracies.
Those on the frontline, delving into the exposure of criminals and their devious, nefarious or subversive behaviour, must be able to do their chosen job free of revenge and retaliation.
Trump can be given a lot of credit for undermining the vital job of journalists and media whose prime function is to give oversight, insight and illumination into the wicked ways of the filthy rich, obscenely famous, insatiably greedy and those with agendas designed to control and dominate our basic freedoms.
Punishment for those killing the messengers and whistleblowers must be stiffened to ensure we, and journalists are not cowed by cowards and those paying them to do their hit jobs.
Rob Buchanan, Kerikeri.
I have recently had a fall at St Lukes and would just like to thank the paramedics and all the staff at Auckland Hospital of all different nationalities.
The staff have been nothing but loving and caring and I have loved meeting nurses from different parts of the world who are all very dedicated. I am now at Hillsborough hospital getting the same fantastic care.
Noelyne Korff, Three Kings.
General practice representatives are in the final stages of negotiations with Health NZ.