What is an EV lane?

 An EV lane is reserved for electric vehicles and any other vehicles marked on the sign, for example, vehicles carrying two or more people (T2), heavy vehicles, motorbikes, etc.

Priority bypass lanes on motorways allow drivers of certain vehicles to jump the queue. A trial between September 2017-2018 was completed in Auckland whereby EVs were allowed to use 11 T2 and T3 lanes, even if they only have one occupant.

The government did this to encourage EV uptake, and it could end up being too successful which is why it was only for 12 months from September 2017. The other irony is that by forcing petrol and diesel-powered vehicles to wait, air pollution will not be improved in the short term.

What is an electric vehicle?

For the purposes of this trial, an electric vehicle means a plug-in electric vehicle, not a hybrid. This means the likes of the Nissan Leaf, any Tesla, BMW’s i3 or i8, VW e-Golf, Hyundai Ioniq and Renault Zoe. Drivers of hybrids that have a petrol engine which charges the battery are not eligible. Drivers of vehicles such as the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV which can plug in but also has a petrol motor are eligible.

Owners of eligible electric vehicles received a sticker in the mail.

On-ramps that had EV lanes

• Bus-only lane, northbound on-ramp, Upper Harbour Highway
• T2 and truck lane, southbound on-ramp SH1, Greville Road, Albany
• T2 and truck lane, southbound on-ramp SH1, Constellation Drive, Glenfield
• T2 and truck lane, northbound on-ramp SH1, Hingaia Road, Papakura
• T2 and truck lane, northbound on-ramp SH1, Orpheus Drive, Onehunga
• T2 and truck lane, Great North Road interchange SH16, eastbound loop on-ramp and westbound on-ramp, Waterview
• T2 and truck lane, northbound from South Eastern Arterial onto SH1, Mount Wellington
• T2 and truck lane, northbound on-ramp SH1, Mount Wellington Highway, Mount Wellington
• T2 lane, northbound on-ramp SH20, Rimu Road to Southwestern Motorway, Mangere
• T2 and truck lane, northbound SH20, McKenzie Road, Mangere/Manukau

More information can be found on the government’s electric vehicle website.