LEANZ Seminar: How can NZ transition to a clean energy vehicle fleet?

Two speakers Richard Meade and Andreas Heuser offer perspectives on this important question

About the topic:

Richard Meade will explain why any transition from fossil fuel to clean energy vehicles is essentially a question of platform competition, which has peculiar features like strong network effects and scale economies. In particular, Richard will discuss how the transition involves numerous parties like vehicle manufacturers, vehicle owners and users, and the providers of the infrastructure required to refuel/charge vehicles to coordinate on some emerging clean energy technology which currently lacks the scale economies and network effects enjoyed by the fossil fuel energy platform. Richard will discuss recent work on the peculiar challenges presented by this type of competition - deliberately remaining agnostic on which clean transport technology/ies might prevail - and possible policy responses to resolve them to achieve a timely, efficient, equitable and orderly transition to net zero by 2050.

Andreas Heuser will present on potential barriers to the uptake of clean energy vehicles, and potential solutions to the identified barriers. Barriers such as coordination problems, standard wars and potential monopolies could prevent uptake, to the extent these are real problems. Andreas will draw on insights from recent transport and energy transition work in New Zealand and in Asia-Pacific for Castalia to outline where policymakers could focus attention.

About the speakers:

Richard Meade is Principal Economist of Cognitus Economic Insight, Senior Research Fellow at Auckland University of Technology, and current LEANZ President. He has undertaken a number of major futures studies discussing how regulation should be framed in anticipation of new technologies, business models and players. This includes in transport (for Ministry of Transport), electricity (for the Electricity Retailers' Association of New Zealand), and in these and other sectors (for Vector, Powerco and First Gas). He has a PhD in industrial organisation and regulation from Toulouse School of Economics.

Andreas Heuser is Managing Director of Castalia Asia-Pacific. He is based in New Zealand and advises on the energy transition questions for energy companies, regulators, and governments. Recent work includes leading modelling EV uptake for Z Energy and another fuel company, hydrogen scenario development for MBIE and advice to financial institutions throughout Asia-Pacific on clean energy investment opportunities, particularly in hydrogen. Andreas is the immediate past President of LEANZ.

Time: 1:00 pm to 2:00pm

Format: 40-45 minutes plus Q&A