Southland Home Show Prize Winner 2024, Pauline Lovett was happily surprised at winning her new Watt Wheels Civic LS e-bike. Just in time for some crisp but sunny biking weather. Alex and Bob would like to thank George Owen for organising this year’s show, and all those who entered and had a chat. It was a great turn out. Be sure to call in to the show room for a look and check out the website geobyke.nz.
At The Electric Motor Vehicle Company Ltd we are working hard to enable our customers to access this supply. Everything around us is operated by electrical currents. This supply works with circuits involving digital devices.
In a digital device the current flows through semiconductors that are either on or off ie the current either flows or it doesn’t flow. There is no other option. Billions of semiconductors are wired together on a chip to form a circuit and it is the various ways that current can flow through the chips connected together that determines the operation of the device it is a part of.
Artificial Intelligence AI, is the latest development where given an instruction the device (say a computer) can access huge databases of information , usually through the web and connect together the relevant information to find an answer to the question. Our brain can operate the same way, but it could take years of research to find the same answers. Obviously once humanity goes down this road it becomes more addicted to the need for an electrical supply that never switches off or runs out. If NZ wants to develop successfully and attract modern businesses to start up it must be the best at supplying cost effective and reliable electricity. This must also be supplied in a non-polluting “Green Way”.
Two sources of electrical energy that are available in a non-exhaustible form are wind and solar energy. It must be remembered these are variable in intensity, and we may need the energy when these are not available. They can never be relied on for “base load “ energy.
Therefore, we need to be able to store the energy generated and make it available at all times in all conditions.
This is where The Electric Motor Vehicle Company comes in.
“ We have always relied on China to provide us with battery storage technology and this has proved to be very problematic. They are very protective of their technology and what they will share to analyse faults and affect repairs . It is all about getting a sale at an attractive price that then becomes a big cost to us” says Alex de Boer. Managing Director.
“ Therefore, we decided we needed to bring this capability “ in house”. We have teamed up with experts in battery management systems and a quality conscious supplier of cells to make our own modular big batteries capable of operating electric vehicles. These go into our own off-road vehicles and many other uses including the storage of wind and solar energy for our clients.
We can analyse faults and change parameters remotely. The batteries are easy to remove and repair if needed. We may even operate a battery swap facility and leasing of the battery. We can do this as we have confidence in the battery and have all the components at hand. “
“ After all the battery is the motor of the vehicle and needs to be reliable and able to be replaced quickly to get our clients moving “ summarizes Alex de Boer (Owner).
The Electric Motor Vehicle Company is proud to announce its own range of electric bikes called GEOBYKE.
The company has specified all the best readily
available components and had these built into high spec frames manufactured by Geobyke in China.
“ Geobyke is a very reputable bike manufacturer and we carefully reviewed its ability to produce the best bike to suit our Southland environment.
We have also designed a full range of E-Bikes to suit all ages, experience and uses. “ says Alex de Boer, Managing Director.
The E-Bikes are designed to overcome all the issues and concerns most potential buyers have. This includes maximizing the range by having the largest possible batteries, and maximizing the power available to get up the steepest hills. Also included are 5 levels of power assist up to speeds of 45kmph including an accelerator to give an initial burst of energy when getting started. “ We can do all this, including high quality components by being involved in the value chain right from the start without having to push the prices up.
Everyone gets great value at a competitive price “ adds Mr de Boer.
The range includes the major sellers which are the high-step and low-step cruiser E- bikes designed for on-road commuting as well as being able to confidently take on the extensive and beautiful natural trails throughout Otago and Southland with the confidence of knowing they will last the distance for range, power, and reliability. This allows older people, who would not otherwise venture into these areas to enjoy the beauty of our native surroundings with their families and friends.
Our signature E-bike is our full suspension mountain bike with its 48-volt power system, 840Wh battery capacity, 29 inch wheels, and manual dropper seat post. The suspension and braking is excellent. All the detail is available on our special website www.geobyke.nz.
Also in stock are 2 types of E – Scooter. One is for commuting on our cycle lanes and footpaths. The other with twin motors and suspension to take on the rough terrain.
We also have our specialist E-Bikes . These include our popular E-Trike , a 3-wheeler for those with stability issues or wanting to commute to visit friends or do some shopping. It comes complete with shopping baskets front and rear and can even carry the family dog for an outing.
The Fold Up E-Bike can fit in the boot or the campervan to avoid bike carriers and be taken on holidays to ride trails and commute to town, or scenic spots while the vehicle can be left at the campsite.
The Cargo E-Bike is a new edition. It can fit 2 batteries for an extended range and has a large, sturdy parcel tray for holding a crate if you have a home delivery business. It can also carry a passenger such as when you want to take your child to school or shopping with you.
Also in the range is a Comfy E-Bike with fat tyres to take on the sandhills, soft ground or a spot of fishing along the beach where your car may run into a few issues.
Come in and see us at our shop at 279 Dee St,Invercargill and try them all out and have a good discussion.
ALL FARMERS CAN TAKE CONTROL
OF THEIR ON FARM FUEL COSTS
Farmers now have access to the technology to significantly reduce their on-farm fuel costs with the introduction of the all-electric Tuatara farm utility vehicle.
The Tuatara is fitted with the same Lithium Iron phosphate ( LiFePO4 ) batteries that are used in electric vehicles worldwide. Either 1 or 2 batteries can be fitted giving a real on farm range of over 160km. This can be greatly extended because these batteries like being charged and can be plugged in at smokos, lunchtime, during milking , and at night. They can charge at 15 amps which rapidly refills the battery.
The Tuatara with its water-cooled 15KW electric motor will climb 35-degree slopes and swampy areas. The large tyres and wide footprint are used to give good traction using 2WD,4WD, and all-wheel diff lock.
“ It is quiet with a very roomy 3 full seat, enclosed cab to give all-weather comfort. It will do all the work done by ATVs, UTVs, Farm Utes, and some work now done by a tractor. The 3 decks can do multiple jobs around the farm” says Alex de Boer, Managing Director of The Electric Motor Vehicle Company.
“ NZ is totally dependent on fuel coming in from overseas and the green movement combined with ESG investing has meant no new refineries are being built and a number have closed including our own Marsden Point. This plus many other worldwide issues including freight costs mean we will never see cheap fuel again. I predict petrol costs could reach $4.00 per litre by early 2023” says Mr de Boer.
“ The on-farm production of solar and wind has the problem that the power cannot be stored. This energy can be stored in the Tuatara’s batteries plus standby lithium batteries for later use. The Tuatara could be used to power remote huts and farm operations. We are also working to fit a solar power system to the roof of the Tuatara so power can be generated as it is used.
This will all leave farmers in better control of their costs and outside interference . Sunlight and wind are in plentiful supply and will always be free to use! ” says Alex.
Worldwide pollution is an issue for our planet that needs to be brought under control. On farm each UTV is producing about 10 tonne of CO2 per year plus all the other particulates that are being breathed into our bodies. “ With the introduction of the Tuatara to farming this pollution can be greatly reduced at no real cost but considerable and increasing fuel bills can be eliminated. Maintenance is also a lot lower. It is a win-win all round which are always the best deals. We can even finance the cost of the vehicle over 5 years . Fuel savings will cover the finance cost so there is no capital cost to outlay.” concludes Mr de Boer.
Mark Ritchie was very happy collecting his new Watt Wheels Bighorn LS Hub drive e-bike. We had a great turnout this year with a lot of interest in e-cycling and the e-Tuatara 4×4 fully electric farm utility vehicle.
“COP 26, organised by the United Nations, is now behind us and the strongest message that came out was that the world must decarbonize the motorised vehicle fleet.”
All the major world wide vehicle manufacturers have announced multiple electric vehicle models and some have even announced they will no longer manufacture petrol or diesel cars after 2035.”
“Governments around the world are applying penalties and emission rules around petrol and diesel vehicles to make their operation and ownership more expensive, to drive change as they scramble to meet their CO2 emission promises.”
“Hydrogen has a place as it is a great store for “ green “ energy but is about 3 times more expensive than battery electric options. However it has advantages for long haul trucks, ships, remote mining operations, buses and maybe aeroplanes.
“Battery technologies are developing at a rapid rate. By 2025 we are expecting dry cell battery technology that can charge a vehicle in 10 minutes and offer a greatly increased range at a reasonable cost.”
“It is even possible that internal combustion engines may run on fuel other than hydrocarbons.”
“Around town delivery trucks will be electric.”
“Slowly but surely automation of the vehicle will creep in and ride sharing will become more common. Vehicle ownership by individuals will become less common. Vehicles will become a computer on wheels.”
These are all thoughts expressed by Alex de Boer, Managing Director of The Electric Motor Vehicle Company Ltd ( EMV ), Southland’s only dedicated Electric Vehicle Company.
“ When buying and owning an electric vehicle you need to focus on the idea that the battery is the engine. It is sealed and therefore no physical maintenance is required but that does not mean you don’t need to look after it to make sure it will last a long time. Also the battery replacement industry is very young at this time” says Alex. “ Therefore we spend a lot of time with our clients as advisers to understand what use the vehicle is intended for and eventually make the right vehicle choice.”
EMV do not buy or recommend older electric vehicles as these will have a reduced range and will eventually stop driving altogether. “We want to be with our clients throughout their ownership and we do our best to ensure we can keep their cost of ownership down over the life of the vehicle. With replacement batteries we expect EVs can do over one million kms. “says Bob Turner, Sales Manager. “In many cases right now in Southland, with more rural driving hybrid vehicles are often the best option.”
The EMV business is as a one stop shop to bring Mobility as a Service ( MaaS ) in electric or hybrid form to everyone that seeks it. This includes leasing or finance to own. “The savings in running costs can even cover the cost of finance so there is no direct capital outlay,” concludes Mr de Boer.
Electric vehicles are growing in popularity, but there are frequent claims the batteries in them aren’t up to snuff. Andrea Graves sets the record straight.
The electric vehicle feebate announcement has spurred keyboard warriors to “educate” others on the harms of EV batteries. Environmental and human rights advocates have emerged from unexpected quarters: Winston Peters is concerned about labour conditions in African mines and joins Judith Collins in fretting about a looming stockpile of depleted EV batteries.
These alarming claims deserve more than research via social media. Are they true?
The worried politicians could turn to New Zealand’s Battery Industry Group (BIG), a stakeholder group of businesses, individuals, organisations and academics from energy, transport, waste and battery sectors. It’s committed to avoiding a large-battery legacy problem and co-designed a circular product stewardship scheme that is now with the Ministry for the Environment.
If the scheme becomes a regulation, all large batteries will have their chain of custody tracked after import. Their life expectancy varies by make, but the life of a Nissan Leaf’s relatively small and faster-degrading battery might look like this: five years with an owner who needs a long-range vehicle, who sells to someone who’s willing to charge up more often, who after another five years sells cheaply to someone who only tootles around town. A few years later, its remaining capacity can remain useful for a “second life” outside a car. Counties Power, for example, will shortly install ex-Nissan Leaf batteries to store electricity to cover outages and voltage fluctuations in remote locations. It’s also working on a battery bank to store off-peak electricity to power EV charging stations.
BIG proposes collecting a fee when a battery is imported, which would fund the dissemination of batteries for second-life uses or recycling. Dr Peng Cao of the MacDiarmid Institute and the University of Auckland says that EV batteries are completely recyclable – but it’s not profitable and existing methods are polluting. Local recycling options are being explored, and nationwide scrap dealer Metalman hopes to soon offer a recycling service for all common battery types.
All electronic gear, from cellphones to televisions and electric toothbrushes, includes materials that can be toxic. Like oil, the materials are extracted from somewhere on the planet, and the resulting environmental destruction is comfortably distanced from our shopping experience. EV battery metals are no exception, but there is a mammoth push to do better.
“Developing environmentally friendly, less toxic batteries is a really hot research topic globally,” says Cao, who is part of this effort. “The second generation of EVs tried to minimise the use of cobalt. Now producers are trying to move away from it altogether. And the new chemistry batteries should be cheaper.”
A battery based on aluminium, an abundant and less toxic metal, is being developed by Wellington startup TasmanION.
This is true and troubling. About 40,000 children are thought to be involved in dangerous, unregulated mining in Democratic Republic of Congo. Poverty drives their families to it. The most valuable metal they unearth is cobalt – the same metal battery manufacturers are trying to retire from their products. International coalitions are working to improve the conditions that drive children to work in the mines and to source less exploitative cobalt from the murky supply chain.
But before you throw stones in a cobalt revolt, check whether you’re living in a glass house. Cobalt is also used in oil refining, the superalloys of aircraft engines and prosthetic joints. And do you own gold, drink coffee, eat chocolate, sugar or bananas or wear cotton? These are some of the products produced by an estimated 160 million children who labour in often dangerous conditions.
There are also valid concerns about rechargeable batteries’ other metals, particularly lithium. Again, there’s a huge research thrust to address that, with a local company at the cutting edge.
Many “lifecycle assessments” have calculated the carbon dioxide produced to build, use and dispose of vehicles. They consistently show that although more carbon emissions are generated by EVs than conventional cars during manufacturing, EV lifespan emissions are much lower after a few months or years of average driving (it’s faster for smaller EVs and in countries like ours where renewable electricity predominates).
It’s not intuitive, but even where electricity is generated by coal, EVs result in lower carbon emissions than conventional vehicles. That’s because internal combustion engines are so inefficient, converting less than 30% of petrol’s energy into power at the wheels. EV batteries convert nearly 80% of grid energy into wheel power. And more renewable electricity is imminent.
All vehicles step heavily on the planet, so an advocate for the environment and human rights would, whenever possible, use a less taxing option such as their feet, a bike or public transport.
It’s exhausting to examine how every purchase impacts distant people and environments, but it’s only fair to compare apples with apples. A fair player would balance concerns about child labour and environmental harm from battery metals with the injustices they fund with their other purchases. They would factor in the pollution, corruption and wars that result from relying on oil.
They would weigh up battery issues against the vast suffering to be inflicted on billions of future humans and other species by the continuing massive blow-out in atmospheric carbon dioxide caused by burning fossil fuels. The resulting three or more degrees of warming predicted by 2100 seems measly (we’re already at one degree), but there is little doubt the consequences will be profound.
The sea will engulf many cities. Widespread heatwaves, drought, famine, intense storms, fires and severe economic depression are inevitable unless we cut carbon emissions deeply and rapidly. Transport produces nearly half of New Zealand’s carbon dioxide emissions, and although EVs are imperfect, they’re a ready-to-roll way to start eradicating those emissions.
Original Article – https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/05-07-2021/ev-batteries-sorting-the-fact-from-the-fiction/
Earn Back Your Purchase Price and More
Farmers now have a choice but it is a “ no brainer” says Alex de Boer, Managing Director of The electric Motor Vehicle Company when explaining why farmers should purchase the Hisun range of electric farm UTVs stocked and offered by his company.
“ Price is always an issue, as it should be, but it is important to evaluate the lifetime cost.
A model similar to our HS5D offering 18.8HP and 120Nm of torque in petrol or diesel power will set you back about $24,000 ( excluding gst ). Our fully electric UTV with lithium -ion batteries is just under $30,000 ( excluding gst).
However once the purchase is made there are now nil petrol or diesel costs. This is a cash expense and the average farmer could easily spend up to $7500.00 on fuel per year. This means that even after 1 year the non electric UTV has now cost $31,500 or this cost could be applied to the electric UTV and reduced this to $22,500. But this saving adds up every year of ownership and use so it is not long before the non electric bike has doubled in cost and the electric bike has recovered all its cost.
The difference is even greater when you add in the savings in maintenance costs. There is no petrol motor that won’t start and creates maintenance bills of roughly $1500 per year. In the electric UTV the motor is effectively the battery and with the same Lithium Ion batteries that are found in all electric cars we know that these will cycle for at least 2000 full cycles. This saving in maintenance also means less downtime and more use—therefore making money.
On top of all the cash savings there is a saving of 2.3kg of CO2 per litre of fuel no longer being pumped into the atmosphere. This can be credited against the farm’s emissions budget. This can easily exceed 10 tonne of CO2 emissions per UTV per year.
Then there are all the other advantages like a quiet ride, no more ear muffs or deafness, no need to shout, play music, better hunting, ease of starting, electric supply for drills etc.
Also if you have a small flat farm, lifestyle block, or garden centre we also have the option of a dry cell battery electric bike for $16,500.00 ( plus gst). Other than a shorter range it has all the other advantages described above. “
The government is determined to meet its “ Climate Change “ commitments and farmers will need to be proactive to embrace this change and play an important part. It is likely that more and more tax will be applied to fuel prices to drive change just as we have seen in the past with cigarette prices. Changing fuel to electric where you can do this and earning back expenses at the same time seems like a no brainer.
Please also see our advertisement on this page for more insight.
The Electric Motor Vehicle Company in Southland specialise in providing electric and hybrid mobility as the future for our transport system.
“ We are pleased to advise that we have expanded this into the field of bicycles. Traditionally the motive power for bikes was via the rider pedalling. Now we are able to offer the pedalling effort in conjunction with a geared electric motor “ says Mr Alex de Boer, Managing Director.
Cycling was usually seen as a way to exercise for moderately fit people. With the introduction of electric powered cycles offering assistance to the effort of pedalling the field of users has been dramatically extended. “ We now get people coming in aged 80 plus able to consider riding the Rail Trail and other holiday destinations in the outdoors. There are up to 4 levels of power assistance so even steep hills can be easily managed, “ notes Mr Bob Turner, Sales Manager.
“ In conjunction with Electrify.nz we now stock the KTM ( Austrian ), Gepida ( Hungarian), and Magnum (USA), and Black ( NZ designed) brands. These offer the full range of options from serious mountain bikers to road cycle commuting in various size options “ says Alex.
The Electric Motor Vehicle Company is proud to be involved in a world first by introducing the Lithium Ion all electric UTV. This is the same power source that is used in all electric cars.
“ We have teamed up with HISUN who are world’s fastest growing UTV brand and now represented in over 50 countries. Designed and engineered in a state -of -the art premises in McKinney, Texas and manufactured in China in a 160,000 sq.m. facility the Hisun Lithium Ion battery powered bikes offer everything a farmer would desire “ says Alex de Boer , Managing Director of TEMVC.
* No fuel bill. Electric charging can be done on a 15 amp single phase plug. The battery likes being charged and can be plugged in whenever the machine is not in use.
* Reduce your farm carbon footprint. This is a requirement to get your Resource Consent. One UTV can save over 10,000 kg of CO2 per annum. It might mean you do not need to lower stock numbers.
* Will climb 31 degree slopes.
* Very quiet. Keep stock calm. Great for hunting.
* Very few moving parts so maintenance costs are very low. This also means less downtime and having the vehicle out of use. The battery needs no maintenance. Battery life depends on the number of complete charge cycles. In cars this is at least 5000 cycles so it should be similar with these bikes. Battery costs are constantly coming down and the battery technology is constantly improving.
* Range can be up to 120km depending on how hard it is driven and the terrain. Topping up the battery during lunch and other work breaks could overcome any concerns here.
* There are 3 driving speeds—max range, high, and low. There is no gear lever or clutch. Max speed is 45 km/hr.
* A 1500 kg electric winch is standard.
* There is front wheel diff lock in 4WD mode.The bike can also operate in 2WD to extend the range.
* All switches are dash mounted and electronic.
* A tow fitting is provided with a towing capacity of 680kg.
* There is a rear tilt tray with a load capacity of approximately 230kg.
* There are ventilated hydraulic disc brakes on all 4 wheels.
* The UTV has 4 wheel independent suspension which is nitrogen assisted and has many dampening options
* Fitted with a cigarette type electric plug and also A USB connection.
* The UTV could be adapted to power electric tools.
* As the bike is so quiet there is no need to wear ear muffs and a sound system could be fitted.
* There are 18.8 HP, 25.5 HP, and 50 HP drive options.
* Electric motors generate amazing torque so acceleration is instant with no grinding through gears necessary.
All this is available at a price similar to the larger petrol and diesel UTVs from other suppliers . When this is coupled with all the above features and the savings in fuel and maintenance and complying with CO2 emission requirements it is really a great purchase option.
“ We have stock available “ says Mr de Boer.
279 Dee St, Avenal, Invercargill 9810
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