Electric Executive · Hawke's BayOur Sustainability
Commitment
Kaitiakitanga and manaakitanga, made tangible. Hawke's Bay's pioneering electric-first luxury touring operation, powered by one of the world's cleanest electricity grids.
At Electric Executive, sustainability is not a brand position. It is the foundation of everything we do. Guided by the Māori values of kaitiakitanga (guardianship of the land) and manaakitanga (care for guests and community), we operate Hawke's Bay's electric-first luxury touring fleet, powered by one of the world's cleanest electricity grids.
These values are not additions to the guest experience. They are the experience.
— Electric ExecutiveElectric-First Fleet & Clean Energy
Guests travel by electric vehicle by default, carried with zero tailpipe emissions across every EV tour and transfer.
New Zealand's electricity grid runs at more than 90% renewable, with overnight charging periods regularly exceeding 96% renewable generation (Q4 2025: 96.4%). Every kilometre our EVs travel is powered almost entirely by wind, hydro, and geothermal energy.
Our diesel Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is retained for large-group and long-distance jobs that current EV range cannot yet serve. Its emissions are measured and reported in full, and our long-term goal is a fully electric fleet as vehicle range continues to improve.
Emissions avoided: using DEFRA 2024 UK Greenhouse Gas Conversion Factors (0.237 kg CO₂e/km for an average medium diesel van), our electric kilometres deliver a direct, measurable reduction in tailpipe emissions compared to any equivalent diesel touring operation.
— DEFRA 2024 Conversion FactorsAir New Zealand Official Taxi Partner
Electric Executive is Air New Zealand's official taxi partner in Hawke's Bay — the only regional provider to hold this partnership. It brings a zero-emission corporate transport option to every domestic and international visitor arriving in the region, and supports Air New Zealand and Hawke's Bay Airport in meeting their emissions-reduction goals through sustainable procurement. That a major national organisation with rigorous sustainability standards selects an electric-first provider is, for us, proof that premium electric transport requires no compromise.
Zero-Waste Provisioning
Onboard provisioning is designed to eliminate single-use plastic and keep materials in use. Our largest measured indirect impact is onboard guest supplies, and we are actively reducing it through bulk provisioning and reusable packaging.
- Glass water bottles — locally sourced artisanal water in glass, recycled after use through New Zealand's kerbside glass stream.
- Snack jars cleaned and reused — snacks are bulk-purchased and served from glass jars that are washed and reused, not discarded.
- No single-use plastic — we do not provide single-use plastic bottles, cups, or packaging on board.
- In-vehicle device charging — guests keep devices powered without disposable batteries or accessories.
GHG Inventory
We hold an independently prepared GHG Inventory (Future Proof Projects, 2026), following the Ministry for the Environment Measuring Emissions Guide 2025 methodology across Scope 1, 2, and 3.
| Scope 1 — Direct combustion | 0 kg CO₂e |
| Scope 2 — EV grid charging | 935 kg CO₂e |
| Scope 3 — Supplies, maintenance, logistics | 725 kg CO₂e |
| Total | 1,660 kg CO₂e |
Fleet fully electric in FY2024/25, so Scope 1 = zero. Formal inventory completed by Future Proof Projects using MfE 2025 and Thinkstep ANZ proxy factors.
| Scope 1 — Diesel Sprinter (introduced this year) | 1,805 kg CO₂e |
| Scope 2 — EV grid charging | 623 kg CO₂e |
| Scope 3 — Indirect | 1,153 kg CO₂e |
| Total to date | 3,581 kg CO₂e |
The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter joined the fleet in FY2025/26 to serve larger groups, introducing a Scope 1 diesel component for the first time. Largest Scope 3 category is onboard guest supplies (packaged water, snacks — 498 kg CO₂e in FY24/25), which we are actively reducing through bulk provisioning and eliminating single-use packaging. Source: Future Proof Projects GHG Inventory 2026.
| Scope 1 — Sprinter diesel | 1,416 kg CO₂e |
| Scope 2 — BYD Atto 3 + eVito charging (NZ grid) | 50 kg CO₂e |
| Scope 3 — Transmission, subcontractors, AI processing | 442 kg CO₂e |
| Total to 29 June 2026 | 1,908 kg CO₂e |
Scope 3 breakdown: grid transmission and distribution losses (11.77% NZ loss rate) 6 kg · V-Class diesel subcontractor 416 kg · Tesla Model Y subcontractor 20 kg · AI processing tools (Scope 3 Cat.1, USD 100/mo × EPA USEEIO 0.19) included. All figures accurate as at 29 June 2026.
Offsetting Locally — Hōhepa Hawke's Bay
We measure our carbon footprint every quarter using actual operating data, independently audited each year by Future Proof Projects. But rather than purchasing anonymous offshore carbon offsets, we direct the equivalent cost to a partner whose impact we can see, visit, and share with our guests: the Hōhepa Hawke's Bay native plant nursery.
Established in 1957, Hōhepa supports intellectually disabled children and adults to live life to the full, guided by their vision of “every life fully lived.” At their nursery in Clive, the nursery team works alongside the people Hōhepa supports to raise native plants from locally sourced seed. Working with local authorities, tangata whenua, the Department of Conservation and private landowners, those plants go into reforestation, wetland restoration and biodiversity programmes across the region.
One partnership, three outcomes: measurable climate action, restored native biodiversity, and meaningful work for the people Hōhepa supports.
— Electric ExecutiveCommunity Contributions
Sustainability extends beyond emissions. We contribute actively to the people and community of Te Matau a Māui — Hawke's Bay.
- Hastings Girls' High School — We organise familiarisation (FAMIL) visits for Level 2 Tourism students, providing hands-on experience with regional accommodation and tourism operators, building the next generation of Hawke's Bay tourism professionals. We also mentor students through the Young Enterprise Scheme, supporting business development and pitch skills across multiple visits.
- Lucknow Kindergarten — We provide our fleet for children's community outings on a regular basis. We also donated a Luxury Hawke's Bay Wine Tour Experience as a main prize in the 2026 Mega Raffle, which raised $6,800 for new heaters and outdoor improvements.
- Volunteer Fire Brigade — During severe weather evacuations, we provided our van for community evacuations, putting the fleet at the service of the community in its time of greatest need.
Māori Values in the Guest Experience
Our sustainability story begins with place. Hawke's Bay — Te Matau a Māui — takes its name from the fish hook of the demigod Māui, the hook that hauled the North Island from the ocean, and the same constellation that guided the earliest navigators to Aotearoa.
We are proud partners of Ātea a Rangi, the Māori celestial compass in Hawke's Bay. We are co-developing a visitor experience around this living taonga, connecting guests to a thousand years of celestial navigation knowledge. This is a living partnership with tangata whenua — not heritage tourism, but a relationship that continues to evolve.
Kaitiakitanga — we are guardians of this place, accountable to those who shaped it and those who will inherit it. Our electric fleet is the visible expression of that obligation.
Manaakitanga — to care for a guest is to lift their mana. Caring for the guest and caring for the land are not in tension. They are the same act.
We are also developing the Coastal Studio Tour with Te Awanga artist Sonia Chrystal — mentoring the venture at no charge and providing transport and hosting — and actively supporting Cape Sanctuary with visitor experience development, broadening the regional offering while anchoring it in place.
All figures accurate as at 29 June 2026. GHG Inventory: Future Proof Projects 2026, MfE Measuring Emissions Guide 2025 methodology.