WELLINGTON, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Low emission transport in New Zealand will receive its largest boost so far, Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods said on Thursday.
A total of 29 low-emissions vehicle projects were granted funding through the latest round of the government's Low Emission's Vehicles Contestable Fund, Woods said, adding these grants will include 4.5 million NZ dollars (2.9 million U.S. dollars) of government funding, matched by 12 million NZ dollars from the private sector.
The number of electric vehicles (EVs) on New Zealand roads has nearly tripled. In October 2017, there were 5,363 registered EVs compared to 15,453 now, statistics showed.
"With transport making up 19 percent of our emissions, this is a key part of our plan to tackle climate change," the minister said in a statement.
The 29 projects range from increasing the number and availability of public charging stations to heavy electric truck trials.
"The focus of the fund is to continue to improve public charging infrastructure for EV drivers, increase use of electric heavy vehicles, and invest in innovative technology, such as smart charging. We want to make it easier than ever for New Zealanders to get around in low emissions vehicles," Woods said.
The next round of funding, opening in February 2020, will support for publicly available secure e-bike storage facilities.
