The Dunedin City Council has more than doubled its fleet of electric vehicles this year.
The council bought 12 electric vehicles this year to reach its target of 20 electric vehicles by 2021, a council spokesman said yesterday.
The council made its purchases before the Government’s electric car rebate programme was announced, he said.
‘‘We can confirm we reached our goal of 20 electric vehicles by June 2021 after purchasing an additional 12 vehicles — a mixture of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids — in the last financial year,’’ he said.
‘‘The vehicles were purchased before the EV rebate scheme was announced by the Government in June, but this will inform our strategy for future purchases.’’
The council set its target for electric vehicle ownership in 2016.
At a council meeting in May that year, former city councillor, and present Otago regional councillor, Kate Wilson championed the cause.
Councillors voted to direct the city council’s chief executive to ensure the council owned 20 fully electric vehicles within five years, and to report back annually on progress towards the target, and on petrol, or carbon, savings achieved each year.
In February this year, the council had eight electric vehicles, but said it was on track to reach its target as it continued to acquire more electric vehicles when vehicles in its fleet were due for replacement.
The Government announced its electric vehicle rebate programme in June.
It said from July 1 those who bought cars would eligible for rebates of nearly $8700 for a new electric or plug-in hybrid car, or about $3500 for unregistered used electric cars.
