He Lost His Salary For 18 Months to Build NZ's Electric Ferries | Michael Eaglen
Care Beyond ProfitsShow Notes
Michael Eaglen didn't draw a salary for eighteen months. There was no demand.
The capital cost was higher than diesel. Auckland Transport pretty much wanted to be left alone to keep buying diesel boats. Then he stood up at a Fullers breakfast at the end of 2018, painted a picture of two electric ferries gliding into Auckland for APEC, and almost overnight it became inevitable.
EV Maritime today has built Auckland's first urban electric ferries, with major projects in Australia, Canada and the United States. "I think in a lot of cases a lot of important things would never happen if any of us realised how much was going to be involved in making them happen. We're protected by our own naivety, and enabled by our own naivety." In this conversation Michael shares his path from a P-class sailing dinghy at age seven (his parents wouldn't buy him a bicycle) to naval architecture in Southampton, the McMullen and Wing CEO chair, and walking away to start EV Maritime. He explains how COVID gave the team unprecedented access to ministers, why three quarters of Auckland's fast ferry routes create more emissions than the cars they displace, and why every diesel ferry in operation costs the taxpayer about thirteen million dollars a year through the health system.
About Michael
Michael is the founder and CEO of EV Maritime, a former CEO of McMullen and Wing, and a naval architect based in Auckland. He began studying in engineering at the University of Auckland then switched to his naval architecture degree at Southampton. Currently, he also serves as a board member of New Zealand Marine Industry Association Board of Management and Steering Committee Member of Steering Committee Member role at the Maritime Emissions Reduction Coalition (MERC).
Chapters
(0:00) Intro: The Boat Guy Building NZ's Electric Ferries (05:16 )From America's Cup Yachts to Superyachts (07:12) Why Auckland's Ferries Burn So Much Diesel (10:46) 18 Months Without a Salary: The Risky Pivot (12:59) Selling Electric Ferries When Nobody Wanted Them (16:25) The Speech That Made Electric Ferries Inevitable (21:47) "To Finish First, You Must Finish" (26:21) Speaking Truth to Power: Lobbying for Change (29:34) Electric vs Diesel: The Real Numbers (35:40) From Two People to Global Impact (39:04) The Diesel Contradiction & the Hidden $13M Cost (45:10) Michael's Three Values & Where to Find Him Learn More About Michael
EV Maritime: https://evmaritime.com Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeleaglen
Learn More About Azoora LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azooraali/ Website: https://www.accountingandtax.co.nz/ Listen to Care Beyond Profits on Spotify and YouTube. If Michael's story resonated with you, please like, share, and subscribe for more conversations with leaders who prove that care and profits can grow together. #ElectricFerries #MaritimeElectrification #ClimateAction #SustainableBusiness #NewZealandBusiness #Decarbonisation #PurposeDriven #Leadership
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