One of the key things the New Zealand motor industry is asking the Government to do post-alert levels is buy more Electric Vehicles (EVs), which will blend economic benefit with climate change objectives.
The world has seen cleaner air from fewer fossil-fuel-burning vehicles on the road in recent times, so maybe you’re thinking about make the change to EV as well. What are your options?
Click here to view all electric vehicles listed on DRIVEN.
There’s a clear preference for pure-electric vehicles over plug-in hybrids among the Kiwi public. There are more NZ-new BEVs in the national fleet than PHEVs (4292 versus 3142) and many more used-import BEVs than PHEVs (10,992 versus 1792).
In fact, there are more used-import BEVs on the road in NZ than the other three categories combined, thanks largely to a supply of reasonably priced Nissan Leafs. It proves that if the price is right, there’s real acceptance of and appetite for pure-electric motoring in NZ.
New BEVs are still expensive, because batteries are expensive. Sales volumes are still therefore relatively small, but the market will grow as makers offer more choice and capital cost comes down.
It’s probably not surprising that the models making the biggest impact right now both have an element of glamour and genuine long-range capability. The Tesla Model 3 is the biggest-selling BEV in NZ year-to-date, ahead of the Hyundai Kona Electric SUV.
The really high-end BEVs get a lot of press and offer lots of tech, but they are still selling in tiny numbers. The Jaguar I-Pace, Audi e-tron and Tesla Model X are neck-and-neck; but all three together account for fewer than 60 registrations.
There are more BEVs on the way, some of which may ease the financial pain of choosing to go fully electric. But with Coronavirus-related production issues and carmakers’ desperate need to meet stringent European emissions regulations, NZ isn’t at the head of the queue.
Two of the most imminent are also potentially the most “affordable”, at least in EV terms. MG has been preselling its ZS EV-SUV to Kiwi customers at a special sticker of $50,100, making it NZ’s cheapest BEV by far. Mini has just launched the Cooper SE (aka “Mini Electric”) at $59,990.
The other BEV that’s gearing up for a full NZ launch is at the other end of the scale: Porsche’s exotic Taycan, which is kind of like a four-door 911 with a plug. It’ll eventually have an Audi sibling, too: the e-tron GT.
Just as interesting, but a lot less tangible timing-wise are small cars like the Kia Soul EV, Peugeot e-208, Mazda MX-30, Volkswagen ID.3 and its Seat cousin the el-Born. You can dream about 2020 in NZ for these cars, but you might wake up and it’ll be 2021.
Electric SUVs will keep coming. There’s the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Tesla Model Y, a Sportback version of the Audi e-tron and the battery-only BMW iX3.
Electric power suits luxury cars, too. This year we should see a lot more of Jaguar’s all-new XJ and the Mercedes-Benz EQS, both sumptuous sedans that eschew combustion engines.
Every new BEV you can buy in NZ
Mini Cooper SE (WLTP range 235-270km), $59,990
Nissan Leaf (WLTP range 270km), $59,990
Hyundai Ioniq Electric (WLTP range 311km), $65,990-$71,990
Renault Zoe (claimed “real-world” range winter-summer 199-299km), $68,990
Volkswagen e-Golf $69,490 (AA-tested “real-world” range 220km)
Kia Niro (WLTP range 289-455km), $69,990-$75,990
Tesla Model 3 (NEDC range 460-620km), $75,900-$105,200
BMW i3 120Ah (claimed “everyday” range 260km), $77,200-$85,900
Hyundai Kona Electric (WLTP range 447km), $77,990-$84,990
Audi e-tron (WLTP range 328-417km), $134,900-$157,000
Mercedes-Benz EQC (WLTP range 417km), $142,900-$148,900
Jaguar I-Pace (WLTP 470km), $144,900-$164,900
Tesla Model S (WLTP range 593-610km), $149,900-$181,900
Tesla Model X (WLTP range 487-507km), $159,900-$190,900
The top 10 selling BEVs in NZ for 2020
Tesla Model 3 157
Hyundai Kona Electric 92
Nissan Leaf 41
VW e-Golf 31
Hyundai Ioniq 21
Jaguar I-Pace 19
Audi e-tron/Tesla Model X 17
BMW i3/Tesla Model S 9