Auckland’s first fully electric ferries will hit the water by 2024, thanks to $27 million of new funding from the government and $7 million from Auckland Transport, announced by Mayor Phil Goff and Minister of Energy and Resources Megan Woods this afternoon.

Two new 200-seat commuter vessels will be built in New Zealand by Auckland-based EV Maritime, kickstarting an era of sustainable ferry services as the council moves to replace the city’s ageing diesel fleet with new state-of-the-art electric models.

“We are committed to making Auckland’s transport system sustainable and delivering a positive legacy for our kids and grandkids,” said Mayor Goff.

“43 per cent of Auckland’s total emissions comes from transport, mainly private cars, so providing a sustainable, convenient alternative is critical to meeting our climate objectives.

“We have already ceased the purchase of fossil fuelled buses and our commuter trains are fully electric. Ferries create over 20 per cent of Auckland’s public transport emissions, and we are taking action to reduce that as quickly as possible,” he said.

“Every diesel ferry we replace with an electric ferry cuts out around 1,000 tonnes of carbon emissions and pollution every year - critical if we are to achieve our ambitious goal of halving Auckland’s emissions by 2030.

“The Climate Action Targeted Rate (CATR) which I have proposed to include in the council’s next Annual Budget would deliver $122 million of new investment in our ferry system and enable us to rapidly accelerate the decarbonisation of our ferry fleet with the addition of six additional new electric ferries paid for through the CATR.”

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