Delivering on the Zero Carbon Communities principle of Vision Beyond 2050, Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) will replace most of its existing vehicle fleet with 100% Electric Vehicles (EVs).

Once current leases expire, all vehicles aside from trucks and utes will be swapped out for EVs, resulting in 30 EVs in QLDC’s fleet between now and mid-2022.

Five Hyundai Kona SUVs will be joining the fleet shortly, boosting the total number of EVs to 13 by the end of the year. Hyundai Konas have an energy consumption cost of only $400 per year and a range of nearly 450 kilometres on a single charge, making them efficient and extremely environmentally friendly.

QLDC General Manager Property and Infrastructure Peter Hansby said the switch to environmentally-friendly vehicles demonstrated QLDC’s commitment to acting on its environmental principles.

“The decision to lease electric vehicles shows we’re serious about following the environmental aspirations laid out in Vision Beyond 2050,” he said.

“We’ve already taken a number of steps in this direction, from developing the Climate Action Plan to installing EV charging stations in Queenstown and Wānaka. We’re proud to lead the charge and set a standard for moving towards more low-impact travel.”

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