Supply and infrastructure issues are putting the brakes on the launch of many of the latest Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) for New Zealand – at least via new-vehicle distributors.
But the parallel-import trade is finding a niche of enthusiastic buyers for near-new BEVs sourced from right-hand countries like Japan and the UK.
We had a taste of that back in our May 1 issue with drives of the Honda e and Volkswagen ID.3 (watch the video at the top of the page) from Drive EV in Taupo – both models that we won’t see as NZ-new cars for at least another year… if at all.
Those cars typify what expect from the latest BEVs: they’re fashion-forward, a bit edgy. But BEV technology is also on the way to becoming mainstream, which is why we were interested to see Drive EV offering a number of MG5 models.
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The MG5 is a small wagon that would suit a family or small business; a rival for the Toyota Corolla or Hyundai i30 wagons, if that helps put in in context. It just happens to be pure electric, with a generous 52.5kWh battery that’s good for a claimed 344km of range. It can be charged to 80 per cent in less than 50 minutes on a 50kW DC fast charger – or less than half an hour for a 50 per cent top-up, if you’re more in sync with the BEV way of running a car.
The BEV powertrain also allows packing flexibility for this small wagon that provides an impressive 587 litres of cargo space in five-seat mode, or 1456 litres with the seats folded down.
Peak outputs of 115kW/260Nm put the performance of the MG5 on par with other small wagons, although the typically strong low-down torque of a BEV means it’s especially perky from a standing start. MG claims 0-100km/h in 7.7 seconds.
