Asthma New Zealand electrifies to help kiwis breathe easy

Supporting the Low Emissions Vehicles programme of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), Asthma NZ received co-funding to shift their Mobile Nurse Educators fleet into electric vehicles (EV) by 2020.

ABB will supply EV chargers which will be installed by their channel partner, Singer Electrical in Asthma NZ’s offices and nurses’ homes located in Auckland, Wellington and Rotorua.

“This journey is an exciting and slightly intimidating one. For Asthma NZ the quality of the air we breathe is paramount, so making the decision to convert to electric was one of congruence. Knowing what I know now, I realise how it could have been a challenging one had we not had the support of brilliant partners like ABB and Singer Electrical”, Katheren Leitner, Chief Executive for Asthma NZ said.

New Zealand has one of the highest rates of asthma in the world brought on by various factors, primarily the environment and current housing conditions. Asthma NZ have been providing education, training and support to those with asthma and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) for 48 years.

“With the second highest rate of mortality for five to 35-year-olds due to asthma, Asthma NZ put a stake in the ground last year. All our energy is going into reducing asthma and COPD hospitalisation by 50 percent by 2029. Not only will this save lives, it will save the country about half-a-billion dollars each year. Transitioning our nurses’ vehicles to electric will help support our work to achieve these goals”, Katheren adds.

Asthma NZ’s vehicles will be charged by ABB’s AC wallbox, a high quality yet cost-effective solution for charging at home or work and a key component of ABB Electrification’s Mission to Zero for smart cities, a vision for a zero-emission future for all.

ABB’s AC wallbox can charge both electric and hybrid vehicles, and its robust all-weather enclosure is ideal for both indoor and outdoor use.

The AC wallbox integrates direct current (DC) leakage detection and eliminates the need to purchase other devices, such as Type B residual current devices (RCDs) which ensures continuity of service and provides shock protection. The charger has an energy metre to measure voltage, current, power and energy. It can be used to create an overview on how much energy was delivered, and to do local load management on an integrated display, allowing businesses to easily track and manage use.

Singer Electrical installed six chargers in Rotorua and Auckland during the first quarter 2020 and are planning to complete the rest before the semester ends.

“Singer Electrical did not hesitate to get involved in this project, it made sense from the outset. This was not about us doing a nice thing for a charity, it was about us doing the right thing for a country we are passionate about”, Jeff McLaren, Managing Director for Singer Electrical said.

“We proudly partner with Asthma NZ and Singer on this project where we have an opportunity to provide leading EV technology to help achieve the country’s carbon neutral goals, and work towards a more sustainable, zero emission future. Through this project, we can share our passion with like-minded groups in helping create a cleaner and healthier environment for NZ”, Ewan Morris, Country Managing Director for ABB New Zealand shares.

ABB is a world leader in e-mobility solutions, offering the full range of charging and electrification solutions for electric cars, electric and hybrid buses as well as for ships and railways. ABB entered the e-mobility market back in 2010, and today has sold more than 13,000 ABB DC fast chargers across over 80 countries. ABB recently received the Global E-mobility Leader 2019 award for its role in supporting the international adoption of sustainable transport solutions.

ABB offers products and services that provide a crucial contribution to increased sustainability in industry. Close to 60 percent of ABB worldwide sales are generated with technology that contributes to the elimination of the causes of climate change.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a technology leader that is driving the digital transformation of industries. With a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB has four customer-focused, globally leading businesses: Electrification, Industrial Automation, Motion, and Robotics & Discrete Automation, supported by the ABB Ability™ digital platform. ABB’s Power Grids business will be di-vested to Hitachi in 2020. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 147,000 employees. www.abb.com