Applications for two new rounds of the Low Emission Transport Fund (LETF) open from December 1.
Rounds 6 and 7 of the Low Emission Transport Fund (LETF) open on December 1, with EECA (the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) seeking applications focusing on destination EV charging projects, and offroad vehicles and technology - to help further decarbonise the transport sector.
Both rounds will have up to $2 million available for co-funding. EECA contributes up to 50% of the total cost of a project, with a cap of $500,000.
Round 6 is for applications for public EV charging infrastructure projects in destination locations, such as supermarkets, malls, hardware stores, or gyms.
Round 7 is for applications for projects demonstrating new use cases, vehicles, and technologies that will help reduce energy-related emissions from transport, on- and off-road.
Applicants have until 8 February 2023 for Round 6, and 1 February 2023 for Round 7, to submit their proposals, and successful projects will be announced early in 2023 by Minister of Energy and Resources, Dr Megan Woods.
EECA CEO, Andrew Caseley, said that EECA is interested in talking to organisations with transport decarbonisation projects in the pipeline that may fit the criteria.
“We need to keep our foot to the floor as we work to decarbonise transport. This means we need to keep pushing into sectors that have been seen as hard to decarbonise.
This year, we co-funded our first maritime project in the LETF, along with some innovative low emissions heavy freight projects. With these rounds, we’re making off-road projects a priority, and we’re looking forward to working with the industries using heavy offroad equipment who are looking to transition off fossil fuels.”
Mr Caseley noted the Fund’s continued investment in public charging infrastructure.
“We’re continuing to increase the density of the public charging network, this time with a round focusing on destination chargers, so EV drivers can top up while they’re at the shops, the gym, or other community facilities.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what innovative projects come out of both of these rounds.”
About the funding rounds
Round 6: Destination charging
Opens: December 1, 2022
Closes: February 8, 2023
This will be an RFP seeking applications for destination charging projects for those visiting venues such as gyms, supermarkets and community facilities for up to 2 hours, providing the ability to top-up during the visit.
In scope:
1. New or additional charging infrastructure to address queuing or provide access to fast charging using an innovative business model. The project needs to demonstrate a clear pathway for a scalable deployment of destination chargers.
Note: Applicants should provide details to justify the need for additional chargers at a location, where for example users are currently queueing for longer than 30 minutes, more than 3 times per day.
2. Public destination chargers of between 25kW-50kW DC for community or neighbourhood charging, either standalone or as part of a network, where users will spend between 30 mins and 2 hours conducting other activities, for example at supermarkets and gyms.
Round 7: Vehicles, technology and offroad
Opens: December 1, 2022
Closes: February 1, 2023
This funding round seeks proposals to demonstrate a range of low-emission technologies, infrastructure, innovations and business models (e.g Mobility-as-a-Service, or MaaS, transport technology and software projects) and low-emission road and off-road vehicles (for full specifications, read the RFP linked below).
This could include projects in the areas of on-road battery electric cars, vans, trucks and buses, the specified off-road vehicles, and associated technologies or services.
About the LETF
The Low Emission Transport Fund, administered by EECA, supports the demonstration and adoption of low-emission transport technology, innovation and infrastructure to accelerate the decarbonisation of the New Zealand transport sector.
The Fund will focus on activities in the transport sector that move people and/or goods on roads, off-road, and in the marine and aviation sectors to:
Demonstrate innovative solutions that will enable future adoption and deployment
Reduce energy related emissions in the transport sector
Address market and organisational barriers through co-investment and diffusion of new knowledge and lessons, and
Share knowledge and lessons to stimulate wider replication of successful projects and solutions in the transport sector.
Wider transport systems and activities (such as building roads, urban design, mode shift policy) are excluded.
Each round of the LETF, will provide co-funding to a particular area of interest (unlike the previous LEVCF, in which each round welcomed the full range of applications). An announcement will be made in advance of each funding round advising which areas of interest will be included.