Thundergrid is a New Zealand-founded transport electrification company helping businesses and major infrastructure operators transition to electric fleets and smarter energy systems.
Its work spans EV charging, battery storage and energy management, with projects across airports, commercial fleets, workplaces and other complex operating environments. But while the technology is sophisticated, the issues it addresses affect everyone: fuel prices, energy security, business continuity and the resilience of New Zealand’s transport network.
Thorn PR was brought in to translate that technical expertise into accessible, newsworthy stories capable of reaching audiences well beyond the EV sector.
Our strategy shifted the conversation away from individual electric cars and towards the systems that keep the country moving. We positioned Thundergrid’s co-founders, Jonny Parker and Jonathan Zukerman, as expert voices on fleet electrification, charging infrastructure, grid readiness and New Zealand’s reliance on imported fuel.
Real-world projects provided compelling evidence of what electrification could achieve. When Thundergrid partnered with New Plymouth Airport on solar generation, battery storage and smart EV charging, we presented the work as a potential blueprint for greater energy resilience across New Zealand.
The story secured coverage in the Sunday Star-Times, The Post, EVs & Beyond and Tourism Ticker, introducing Thundergrid’s work to national, business, transport and tourism audiences. . EVs & Beyond reported how the airport’s system would store solar power, support terminal operations and power its growing EV charging network.
We then built Thundergrid’s authority through timely commentary on government policy, smart charging, grid pressure and New Zealand’s exposure to global oil shocks. This included a prominent NZBusiness opinion piece connecting transport electrification with freight costs, supply chains and national economic resilience.
The programme also supported Thundergrid’s wider brand activity, generating coverage for its From Powerless to Powerful campaign across StopPress, Campaign Brief and M+AD, alongside national exposure through RNZ Business News, Kia Ora magazine and Stuff.
Over 12 months, Thorn PR secured more than a dozen pieces of earned media across mainstream, business and specialist publications. More importantly, we helped expand Thundergrid’s story from EV charging technology into a much bigger conversation about how New Zealand powers its future.
