ISSUE 27 | FEB-MARCH 2018

FOMCPO Box 24-225Wellington 6142www.fomc.org.nz

THE NEWSLETTER

OF THE NZ

FEDERATION OF

MOTORING CLUBS

cont’d on page 2

What fate awaits our petrol-powered classic and heritagevehicles in a fossil fuel free future?

Along with leaders of forty major cities, Auckland MayorPhil Goff has committed to achieving zero emissions byeliminating all petrol and diesel fuelled vehicles from hiscity’s streets by 2030. And Stanford University lecturer andenergy guru Tony Seba has already forecast the extinctionof fossil-fuel poweredcars, trucks and buseslong before thatdeadline. He expectsthat by 2025, all newvehicles produced willbe electric and, as adirect consequence, theremaining conventionalcar fleet will be rapidlywiped out

As electric cars replacethe existing fleet, hepredicts service stationswill become as rare asstables, so regular use ofpetrol and diesel-fuelledcars will no longer bepractical.Within justeight years, Seba says,all conventional transportation will have been renderedobsolete by the revolution taking place in batteries, solarpower and electric cars. He expects the change to be asrapid and as unforeseen as the switch from horse-drawncarriages to cars back in the early 20th century.

While mainstream forecasting bodies, such as theInternational Energy Agency, predict petrol and dieselproduction and consumption will continue beyond 2040,Seba says they have it all wrong and are

Saving Our Heritage in a

Fossil Fuel Free Future

greatly underestimating the growth of solar power. He iscertain development of driverless cars, battery storageand renewable power sources is about to shrink thedemand for fossil-fuelled vehicles and aftermarketservices at such a rapid rate, few if any of the firmscurrently meeting the needs of conventional motoring willsurvive for many more years.

Here in New Zealand the size of the electric car fleet isdoubling each year with a target of 64,000 by 2021.Exemptions from road user charges, low registration fees,

and other incentives arebeing offered toencourage a more rapidtransition from fossilfuelled transportation.Our Government is evenbeing urged to introducea “feebate” scheme asimplemented in Franceand Norway where anextra cost is added to thepurchase price of “dirty”cars and the money isused to reduce the pricesof electric and fuel-efficient vehicles.

After more than a centuryof enjoying jaunts in ourgreat gas guzzlers and allthe other pleasures

associated with heritage motoring, it would seem to beinevitable both the pursuit of our hobby and thelonger term value of our investments areabout to be curbed. While globalwarming and all the associated

By Roy Hughes, Secretary

NZ Federation of Motoring Clubs

100 years on and these Ford Model T’s can still be driven on NZ

roads - but will we be able to say the same in another 100 years

about the new cars sold today?

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new environmental rules, restrictions and increased costsmay yet fail to remove us from the roads, the clearexpectation is that electric vehicle technology and marketforces will certainly finish off heritage motoring.

Of course, despite the advent of the first motor vehiclesand the resulting disappearance of stables, around theworld there are still many people indulging in therecreational use and ownership of horses. If Seba is rightwe have less than a decade to ensure the right to ownand use heritage vehicles is retained in the projected all-electric, emission-free environment.

Key to retaining our rights to drive our fossil-fuelledvehicles on our roads will be official recognition of theoverriding rich contribution heritage transport collectorsand restorers make to the social fabric of New Zealand.

In advance of any restrictions that may be instituted wemust obtain appropriate exemptions to ensure the ongoinguse of heritage motor vehicles is not curtailed. For all thesame reasons New Zealand’s historic buildings arerestored and remain in use, as much of our transportheritage as possible must also be preserved.

SHARING THE KNOWLEDGE TO

PRESERVE OUR HERITAGE FLEET

In addition to the forecast threat to fossil fuel supplies inthe emerging age of electric cars, finding the replacementparts to keep our prized classics roadworthy is becomingincreasingly onerous.

Tracking down the bits needed to complete a restorationor pass a mechanical inspection can be part of pleasurefor some heritage vehicle owners. But for others the failureto find needed spares or services can result in frustrationand sometimes even the long term abandonment of astill viable project.

Of course the problems finding the parts needed to restoreor repair classic or vintage vehicles are not confined justto New Zealand but are shared right around the world.

So late last year FIVA (the Fédération Internationale desVéhicules Anciens) entered into a global partnership withan online platform to provide members with access to high-quality historic vehicle parts, tyres and wheels on aninternational scale.

The agreement between FIVA and classicparts4you wassigned on 18 November 2017 and it is planned for thesite to go live just a few months from now, with itsusefulness and reach increasing over time. A worldwidefederation of historic vehicle owners, FIVA’s membersinclude New Zealand through the Vintage Car Club.

As well as offering access to high-quality appropriate partsfor older vehicles, the classicparts4you website is alsoplanning to assist enthusiasts by providing a database ofspecialised workshops and garages, as well as producers,experts and assessors.

Senior Vice President of FIVA, Dr Mario Theissen said:“This ambitious and exciting project will have far-reachingbenefits for a huge number of classic vehicle enthusiastsaround the globe. Our key aim is to ensure that high-qualitycomponents are readily available for the widest possiblerange of classic cars, motorcycles and commercialvehicles.”

To directly address the same problems here in NewZealand the executive of FOMC has been developing aproject to compile a similar national database of partssuppliers and repair service providers.

We propose to work with member clubs to accumulatethe details of reliable individuals or firms known toundertake work needed to preserve or restore historic andheritage vehicles in their areas. This information will beincluded in a national register of firms and tradespeopleinvolved in the repair or restoration of historic and heritagevehicles and made available to member clubs for thebenefit of their members.

Similar research in the United Kingdom by our sisterorganisation the FBHVC found the heritage motor industrycontributed $10 billion a year to the national economyand was a significant earner of overseas funds. With thehelp of our member clubs, the FOMC hopes todemonstrate heritage motoring in New Zealand is not justa hobby but a major generator of jobs and economicactivity which justifies appropriate Government supportand exemption from or further reductions in the variouscosts and fees inflicted on classic motorists.

WINNING A PRIZE COULD INVALIDATE

YOUR CAR INSURANCE

In these perilous times when disasters and calamities areleading to multi-million dollar losses around the globeadequate insurance protection should be a priority for allsensible club committees.

Though many officials of car clubs assume they areprotected from personal liability problems by theIncorporated Societies Act, in fact they can still be named,sued and held personally responsible to pay potentiallylarge damage claims for a range of possible accidentsand events.

The simplest of these could be if some activity or actionof a member causes damage to motor vehicles or otherproperty owned by a third party, such as a club barbecuesetting fire to a crop or buildings.

Club officials also have the same responsibilities asdirectors or officers of limited liability companies to protectthe interests of their members and properly manage thefinancial affairs of their club on behalf of its club members.

They can be held personally liable for losses resultingfrom theft, fraud or failure to meet the various requirementsof Government-imposed rules and regulations. As in theCompanies Act, individual club officers can be individuallysued or held legally responsible for any defaults by their

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club and this type of exposure is normally not covered bypersonal home/contents or motor vehicle policies.

But as the cost of securing public liability insurance canbe significant for individual clubs, some years ago theFOMC arranged a low cost ‘Combined Association LiabilityInsurance’ programme. It is provided to member clubs onapplication for a negotiated premium depending on theirneeds.

It has been specifically designed and priced for the clubmembers of the FOMC and provides more extensivebenefits than standard public liability cover. The additionalbenefits are:

• Fidelity Guarantee – this will indemnify clubs shouldan officer or director or executive member steal clubfunds;

• Accidental Death Benefit – this covers the death of anyclub officer;

• PR Costs Benefit – covers the costs associated withdealing with media coverage of an event damaging tothe reputation of the club;

• Loss of Documentation – this benefit compensates forthe costs associated with any loss of documents causedby the officers of the club;

• Forest & Rural Fires Act Benefit – if a club barbecue orother event causes a fire, this provision will pay anyresulting fines or costs associated with a callout to thefire service;

• Punitive & Exemplary Damages – should the club orentity be grossly negligent and a court awards damagesover and above the liability claim then there is anadditional cover available;

• Crisis Loss – in the event that there is a major issuedue to negligence an additional $25,000 will be providedto cover associated financial losses.

But while the FOMC liability policy generally covers a club’sactivities and events, and the actions of its members,should they cause physical damage to another person’sproperty there are limitations.

Perhaps the most significant is that the FOMC liabilitycover is not in effect when vehicles are moving under theirown power or being driven, because they should then beprotected by the owner’s motor vehicle insurance.

So when club members’ vehicles are out on the roadparticipating in a trial or rally or taking part in a gymkhanaor circuit event, any damage resulting is the responsibilityof the drivers and not covered under the public liabilityinsurance.

But as many standard insurance policies preclude vehicleswhile they are being used in racing, rallying, hill climbs orcompetitive events, those owners who regularly participatein club events should check on the limits of their individualmotor vehicle cover and how their insurance companydefines “competitive event”. Winning a chocolate fish foranswering the most questions on the route sheet duringa club run may just be enough to cancel the insurancecover on your prized classic.

LVVTA CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY

Just five months after the Low Volume Vehicle TechnicalAssociation (LVVTA) processed its 150,000th modifiedvehicle certification, it has celebrated its 25th Anniversary.

The milestone was marked with an event at LVVTA’sheadquarters in Porirua attended by many current andpast LVV certifiers, Government representatives, currentand past Technical Advisory Committee members, andother guests.

As well as recognising the highly-regarded LVVcertification system for modified and custom-built vehicles,there was a special celebration honouring long-standingmembers of LVVTA’s Technical Advisory Committee(TAC).The backbone of the LVV system, the TAC isresponsible for providing the technical content of the NZCar Construction Manual, as well as assessing all vehicledesign proposals.

Bespoke long-service plaques (made from complexcustom-designed water-jet cut artwork symbolic of the typeof vehicles that the committee was set up to help) werepresented to the volunteer members of the TAC.Recipients of 20-year awards were Graham Walls, JohnHinton, Terry Bowden, Chris Litherland and Tony Johnson.And ten-year awards went to John Reid, Alan Smail,Walter Wing, John Ward, Paul Sattler, Geoff Cottle, KerryBuchanan, Mark Stokes, Justin Hansen and Peter Vahry.

Two new members were inducted into LVVTA’s Wall ofHonour, which is LVVTA’s way of recognising those whohave made significant contributions. The Honourees for2017 were Jim McDonald from the NZ Transport Agencyand Graeme Banks from the Sports Car Club of NewZealand.

LVVTA CEO Tony Johnson paid special tribute to theLVVTA staff team and long-serving member, LindaWashington was recognised for her 20 years of serviceto LVVTA by LVVTA President Steve Keys.

• For more information on LVVTA or the TechnicalAdvisory Committee visit www.lvvta.org.nz.

Guests at the LVVTA function enjoy a dragster

demonstration

NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Electric car batteries major source of CO2

By Johan Kristensson

Enormous hope has been placed in electric cars being asolution to climate change. However manufacture ofbatteries for electric cars is not especially environmentallyfriendly. Several tonnes of carbon dioxide are released,even before electric batteries leave the factory.

IVL, the Swedish Environment Institute has, on behalf ofthe Swedish Transport Administration and the SwedishEnergy Agency, investigated the climate impact of lithium-ion batteries from a life-cycle perspective. Batteries forelectric cars were included in the study. Lisbeth Dahllöfand Mia Romare produced a meta-analysis, that is, areview and compilation of existing studies.

The report shows that battery manufacturing leads to highCO2 emissions. For each kilowatt-hour storage capacityin the battery, emissions of 150 to 200 kilograms of carbondioxide equivalent are generated, in the factory.

The researchers have not studied the batteries ofindividual car brands, just how they were produced or whatelectrical mix they used. But to understand the importanceof battery size here’s an example: two standard electriccars on the market, Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S, havebatteries of approximately 30 kWh and 100 kWhrespectively.

As soon as youbuy one or theother, CO2emissions ofapproximately 5.3tonnes and 17.5tonnes, havealready beenreleased. By wayof comparison, aperson returning from Stockholm to New York by aircreates emissions of around 600 kilograms of carbondioxide, according to the UN organization ICAO’scalculation model.

Another conclusion of the study is that nearly half of theemissions occur during the production of the raw materialsand close to half during the production of the battery inthe factory. The mining itself accounts for only a smallpart of between 10-20 percent.

The calculation was based on the assumption that theelectricity mix used by the battery plant is more than halfgenerated by fossil fuels. Though in Sweden, powergeneration predominantly consists of zero-carbon nuclearand hydropower, so as a result lower emissions can beachieved.

The study also reveals that CO2 emissions rise almostlinearly with battery size, even though data is scarcer inthis area. This means that a Tesla-size battery contributesmore than three times as much CO2 as a Nissan Leaf’sbattery. It is a result that surprised Mia Romare.

“It should have been less linear because the electronicsused do not increase to the same extent. But the batterycells themselves are as influential as the production,” shesays.

The authors emphasise that a large part of their studywas about finding out what data was available and in manycases they found it was difficult to compare existing studieswith each other.

A colleague at IVL, Mats-Ola Larsson, has calculated howlong you need to drive a petrol or diesel car before it hasreleased as much carbon dioxide as just the manufactureof an electric car battery. The result was 2.7 years for abattery of the same size as a Nissan Leaf and 8.2 yearsfor a Tesla size battery.

“It’s great for companies and government to embark onambitious environmental policies to buy climate-smartcars. But these results show that one should not think ofchoosing an electric car with a larger battery thannecessary,” he says.

The authors of the report also note that there is still a lackof financial incentives to send the exhausted batteries forrecycling. Cobalt, nickel and copper are recycled, but notthe energy required to make the electrodes, says MiaRomare.

• Courtesy of the Global Warming Policy Forum

Are defunct marques being revived?

Various one marque car clubs belonging to the Federationof British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC), have noticed aspate of mysterious trademark registrations taking placein the United Kingdom.

The registrations are all of automotive trademarks formanufacturers that no longer exist. Singer and otherformer Rootes Group marques are amongst recent nameregistrations.

There have beenexamples of disusedmarques beingresurrected in the pastbut usually in connectionwith a newmanufacturing venture.There does not appear tobe any such plans

connected to the recent trademark activity and it is stillnot known what the motivation is behind thoseregistrations.

A number of car clubs in the United Kingdom, and alsoNew Zealand, use defunct manufacturers’ names both intheir titles and on merchandise and parts. So theFBHVC is monitoring the issue with a viewto ensuring those clubs’ acquiredrights are not prejudiced.

Tesla Model X and Model S