Pure Advantage, the organisation championing a green growth paradigm shift for New Zealand says the launch of the Association for the Promotion of Electric Vehicles (APEV) is evidence of strong growing support for green business in New Zealand.

APEV, advised by Soichiro Fukutake one of Japan’s most influential businessmen and now living in New Zealand, is modelled on the Japanese counterpart of the same name of which Soichiro Fukutake is chairman.

APEV Japan has been successful in uniting all facets of the Electric Vehicle (EV) industry under a collaborative umbrella, the goal of which is to accelerate the adoption of EVs.

Duncan Stewart, Campaign Manager for Pure Advantage says the launch of APEV in New Zealand is perfect timing and shows that New Zealand can make a positive contribution to reducing carbon emissions from the use of personal motor vehicles.

“New Zealand has one of the highest ownerships per capita of motor vehicles in the Western World second only to California. We are ideally placed to adopt electric vehicles because 74% of the country’s electricity comes from renewable sources such as hydro, wind and geothermal,” says Stewart.

“New Zealand now has the all-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV vehicle commercially available and the Nissan LEAF due here soon, but globally there are more than sixty EV brands planned or in production.”

Pure Advantage supports the vision of APEV because electric vehicle technology has the potential to develop into a significant new industry, and at the same time improve New ZealandÕs environmental performance and preserve the country’s clean green image internationally.

Stewart also says that new businesses would grow up around a New Zealand electric car industry such as companies that would acquire skills in conversion technology, training institutes for mechanics and battery leasing programmes.

“Pure Advantage believes New Zealand could embrace electric car technology because it will ultimately reduce our reliance on increasingly expensive imported oil and develop capabilities which we can export to the world.”