Tesla Model 3 confirmed for Kiwi roads
Mighty River Power is among the first in New Zealand to order the fully-electric Tesla Model 3.
Tesla says almost 200,000 worldwide had paid a deposit to secure one of the new cars, which was announced at the end of last week.
For the first time Tesla last week began taking orders from New Zealanders online for the vehicles, which are unlikely to become available until 2018.
Mighty River Power Chief Executive, Fraser Whineray, says the Company has reserved the Tesla Model 3, with the potential to showcase the latest plug-in electric vehicle (EV) technology in “the most EV-ready market globally”.
Mighty River Power and Mercury Energy were hosted by Tesla in California in January last year, and Mighty River has committed to shifting 70 per cent of its fleet of vehicles to plug-in electric by 2018.
The Tesla Model 3 being launched late last week. Picture/AP
“We have an almost unrivalled opportunity with New Zealand’s 80% renewable electricity to make a real difference to the country’s transport energy and emissions profile. This is a vehicle seen by many as the cutting-edge of innovation at a more affordable price.
“In my view there is no better place in the world to be plugging in a vehicle than New Zealand, with our home-grown renewable energy delivered to your home or business at 30¢ a litre. No fossil fuel, or biofuel, will ever be that cheap or free from tailpipe emissions.
Mr Whineray says there was no better place in the world to be plugging in a vehicle than New Zealand, with its home-grown renawable energy delivered to the home or business at 30c a litre.
"No fossil fuel, or biofuel, will ever be that cheap or free from tailpipe emissions," he says.
“The more natural Kiwi energy that we can pump into our cars and transportation system the better. We know that the most compelling advertisement for electric vehicles is to get people behind the wheel.”
The Model 3 would be an ideal complement to the Company’s fleet that includesd Nissan LEAFs, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs, an Audi A3 e-tron, a BMW i3, Holden Volt, and a plug-in Toyota Prius.
Mr Whineray says about 20 per cent of its fleet was currently plug-in electric.
Watch a Tesla Model S take on a plane below