Mazda powers up Outwest Youth Community Trust

Damien O’Carroll

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  • Mazda New Zealand is supplying the Outwest Youth Community Trust with an MX-30 EV as part of its permanent fleet.
  • The Trust runs the Drive Outwest youth programme that assists learner drivers in gaining their licence.
  • The programme has helped more than 1100 members of the community to pass their driver’s licence in the past 10 years.

After 10 years of assisting more than a thousand members of the South Kaipara community gain their driver's licence, the Drive Outwest programme, operated by Te Awaroa Helensville’s Outwest Youth Community Trust, needed a new car to replace its ageing Mazda Demio.

Massive community support prompted the creation of a Give-a-Little page to aid fundraising efforts, but Mazda New Zealand thought it could help out too - with a Mazda MX-30 EV.

David Hodge, managing director of Mazda Motors of New Zealand.

"When we heard about the circumstances around Outwest’s Mazda Demio training car, straight away our team started thinking of ways to assist", said David Hodge, Mazda Motors of New Zealand managing director.

"We also realised the extent of the demand for licence support, and that Outwest Youth didn’t just need a replacement car; they needed an additional one.

The fully electric MX-30 will be the first EV experience for most of Drive Outwest's learner drivers.

In addition to the car purchased for the training programme from the proceeds of the Give-a-Little campaign, the MX-30 will primarily to be used to support more advanced lessons within the Drive Outwest programme, as well as be used by key staff for Trust activities.

"We have been absolutely blown away by the generosity of Mazda with the MX-30", said Naomi Bartley, Outwest Youth general manager.

"Mazda donating the car to us allows us to keep the programme on the road and also gives the students exposure to some of the latest technology that is becoming commonplace in modern cars.

“The Mazda might be the first electric vehicle experience our students have ever had, so that’s exciting. But during other times, we will also use the MX-30 for general operations as we cover a wide area of South Kaipara, so having an EV really lowers our emissions and vehicle running costs."

Saying it is proud to support Drive Outwest, Mazda will supply the MX-30 as a permanent addition to the driver training programme and Outwest Youth’s wider community activities.