New Zealand's interest in electric vehicles accelerating, survey shows

Monday, 12 July 2021

New Zealand’s interest in electric cars is accelerating, with almost half open to making the switch, research shows.

A survey of 2076 people found 45 per cent of New Zealanders would consider buying an electric vehicle (EV) as their next car.

The research, by financial comparison site Finder, revealed 56 per cent of Gen Z would consider an EV, followed by 51 per cent of Millennials and 44 per cent of Gen X.

Baby Boomers were the least likely to opt for an electric car, at 36 per cent.

Almost half of New Zealanders say they would consider buying an electric vehicle but battery life still puts many off. (File photo)

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Among those who wouldn’t consider buying an electric car or weren’t sure, 72 per cent were put off by the cost.

Battery life was the second largest deterrent, followed by lack of charging stations.

Charging station data from PlugShare showed there were more than 350 EV charging stations in New Zealand.

A Stuff reporter takes an EV on a long journey from Wellington to Napier to test our charging network.

Kevin McHugh, Finder’s New Zealand publisher, said there were both paid and free charging stations across the country.

“Many Kiwis are concerned about charging stations, but what you take for granted is you leave home every morning with a full ‘tank’ if you can charge at home.

“The paid stations typically cost up to $10 per 100 kilometres, depending on the charging station. The more expensive stations can charge your car within 20 to 30 minutes.”

While free stations took several hours to charge, drivers could leave their vehicle while running errands or doing the shopping, McHugh said.

Eight per cent of New Zealanders said EV evangelist and Tesla chief executive Elon Musk was one reason they wouldn’t buy electric.

Kiwis buying new EVs could be eligible for a discount of up to $8625 as part of the Government’s Clean Car Discount scheme. People purchasing used imported EVs, new or used imported plug-in hybrids, as well as ordinary internal-combustion vehicles that pollute less, would also be eligible for discounts depending on their emissions profile.

McHugh said it was promising New Zealanders were so open to the idea of an electric car.

“Electric cars can still be pricey, but we have started to see some prices fall as global demand grows. There are dozens of fully electric and hybrid models on the market, with more affordable options like the Nissan Leaf and Kia Soul.

“Most importantly, an electric vehicle could slash your carbon footprint from driving from around 3000kg to 300kg of carbon emissions per year.”

McHugh said EV owners should review their insurance to make sure they were adequately covered in the event of an accident or theft, as the batteries, charging packs and cables required by electric vehicles were not always covered.

“The good news is that electric cars are not necessarily more expensive to insure than petrol-fuelled cars. Your premium depends more on the cost of the car, how old it is, where you park it, and your driving history.”