The latest round of funding to get low-emission transport ideas off the ground has opened.

The Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund encourages innovation and investment to accelerate the uptake of low emission vehicles, through 50 per cent funding for projects.

Energy and Resources Minister Woods says the fund has committed $29.4m in government funding to 180 projects so far, matched by over $62m in applicant funding.

'Over nine rounds, the investment focus of the fund has evolved, from growing awareness and uptake of electric vehicles to expanding our public charging network and investing in New Zealand-first, innovative technology.

'Through the fund, we've helped ensure Kiwis can charge their electric vehicles the length of the country and invested in work to develop battery repurposing and recycling. We've upskilled the industry, and organisations from small community groups to nationwide transport companies have shown there is a low-emission vehicle solution for just about every need,” says Woods.

Woods says the investment focus for round 10 of the LEVCF, which has $4.5 million available, is focused on three main areas:

· electric vehicle charging

· technology and services

· and demonstrating light and heavy low emission vehicles.

'There is still considerable scope for previous successful projects to be replicated, but in new sectors and applications. We also need to make the charging network denser, by filling gaps in the network and making more facilities available at key locations.

'I'm looking forward to seeing more organisations embrace low-emission vehicles and innovative transport solutions for their sectors.”

Applicants for the tenth funding round have until Wednesday, April 14 to submit their proposals to EECA.

For more information about the fund, visit https://genless.govt.nz/levcf or email the EECA team on LEVFund@eeca.govt.nz.

For general information about EVs, see www.electricvehicles.govt.nz