June 11, 2020
Electric tug sparks name contest
Ārahi, E.T.,Hiko or Sparky.
That's the shortlist of names for Ports of Auckland's new electric tug, winnowed down from more than 3000 entries from the public.
Communications manager Matt Ball says the discarded names include Ashley Bloomfield, Electric Disco Biscuit, The Fighting Queen of Covid', 'Doug' and even 'Tuggy McTugface.
The public will now get to vote for the winner.
Ārahi means to lead, escort, conduct, or drive; E.T. is short for Electric Tug; Hiko means electrical power; and Sparky is diminutive of 'spark', slang for an electrician, but also sparking change.
The new e-tug, which is the world's first full-size electric ship-handling tug, will have a big lightning bolt painted on it to mark it out as special.
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