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Every new EV on sale in New Zealand right now

Wednesday, 22 June 2022

Here is every new electric car you can buy in New Zealand as of September 2022.

With electric vehicles dominating the automotive discussion of late, all the technical jargon and the increasing variety of cars available can make it a bit overwhelming when trying to decide which EV is best for you.

As with most car purchasing decisions, however, the best place to start is simply deciding what type of car you want – a small urban runabout? A large performance sedan? Or a family favourite SUV?

Luckily we can help you with that, thanks to the latest edition of the Go Electric magazine that will be appearing in Stuff newspapers across the country next week, and right here in Stuff Motoring with stories publishing every day from today through until Monday.

Keep reading to see every new car in New Zealand that you can park here.
Keep reading to see every new car in New Zealand that you can park here.

Go Electric is our guide to everything EV and aims to answer questions around our transition to an electrified motoring future and part of that, of course, is our complete list of every new battery electric vehicle that is currently on sale in New Zealand we bring you here.

**READ MORE:

* Subscriptions are the best way to try an EV before you buy

* Drive Electric: Australia may help us hunt down Norway

* Long-term test: Mercedes-Benz EQA

It only looks a little swoopier than a conventional ICE SUV, but Audi’s e-tron packs a lot of cutting-edge tech under the conservative skin.
It only looks a little swoopier than a conventional ICE SUV, but Audi’s e-tron packs a lot of cutting-edge tech under the conservative skin.

* Long term test: MG ZS EV

**

Audi’s sexy e-tron GT is based on Taycan underpinnings, but is more of a superbly capable grand tourer than the Porsche.
Audi’s sexy e-tron GT is based on Taycan underpinnings, but is more of a superbly capable grand tourer than the Porsche.

While in previous editions of this list we have listed the vehicles form lowest to highest in terms of pricing, this time around we have gone for good old alphabetical order, streamlining them into model ranges rather than individual models, because the list keeps on growing.

Any EV that has one of more models eligible for the Clean Car Discount that offers a rebate of $8,625 for any new EV under $80,000 will have it clearly noted in the listing, while we have also included the energy consumption of the vehicles, as well as the weight of the vehicle and the battery warranty offered by the manufacturer.

BMW’s latest EV – the i4 – promises electric ultimate driving machine thrills for ICE money.
BMW’s latest EV – the i4 – promises electric ultimate driving machine thrills for ICE money.

A couple of things to be aware of however, is that the battery warranty is separate from the warranty on the rest of the car (which varies by manufacturer), while the RRP from some manufacturers includes on-road costs (ORCs), while some don’t – this is particularly important when the price gets close to the $80k cutoff for the Clean Car rebate, as ORCs can add up to $1300 to the transaction price of the car, which is what the Clean Car rebate is calculated on.

AUDI E-TRON

The electric version of BMW’s X3 is a surprisingly dynamic and enjoyable EV.
The electric version of BMW’s X3 is a surprisingly dynamic and enjoyable EV.

Audi’s first proper go at an all-electric car, the e-tron was a surprisingly conventional-looking, but extremely high-tech affair that is, as you would expect, every bit an Audi, which means strong performance, good looks and one of the best interiors in the game. The swoopy ‘coupe’ Sportback model also includes a hot S version that packs three electric motors and 808Nm of torque to play with!

It looks... different, but BMW’s iX delivers big SUV luxury and some serious performance.
It looks... different, but BMW’s iX delivers big SUV luxury and some serious performance.
Hyundai’s Ioniq has been around for a few years now, and has just been expanded into a family of EVs.
Hyundai’s Ioniq has been around for a few years now, and has just been expanded into a family of EVs.
The Ioniq 5 delivers everything the funky retro-inspired looks promise, with a superb interior and strong performance.
The Ioniq 5 delivers everything the funky retro-inspired looks promise, with a superb interior and strong performance.
The Kona Electric’s last update brought some slick new looks.
The Kona Electric’s last update brought some slick new looks.

AUDI E-TRON GT

We would struggle to call the I-Pace an SUV, but then it is so good to drive you can call it what you like.
We would struggle to call the I-Pace an SUV, but then it is so good to drive you can call it what you like.

The startlingly sexy e-tron GT is Audi’s first EV to get a proper RS version and is based on the same underpinnings as the thoroughly excellent Porsche Taycan, Audi has taken a softer ‘grand tourer’ approach to the GT, however, meaning it is superbly comfortable. But it also happens to be savagely fast as well.

Kia’s new EV6 looks great and drives even better, plus it also has a setting to make it sound like a spaceship.
Kia’s new EV6 looks great and drives even better, plus it also has a setting to make it sound like a spaceship.
The Lexus UX 300e is an exceptionally good first go at an EV for a company previously committed to hybrids.
The Lexus UX 300e is an exceptionally good first go at an EV for a company previously committed to hybrids.
Incredible build-quality and fantastic dynamics are the high points of Mazda’s MX-30. The hefty price tag is a low.
Incredible build-quality and fantastic dynamics are the high points of Mazda’s MX-30. The hefty price tag is a low.
Mercedes-Benz’s little EQA 250 packs serious quality and is the same price as an ICE Benz small SUV. What more do you need?
Mercedes-Benz’s little EQA 250 packs serious quality and is the same price as an ICE Benz small SUV. What more do you need?

BMW I4

Mercedes-Benz’s bigger electric SUV offers up S-Class levels of refinement and quality.
Mercedes-Benz’s bigger electric SUV offers up S-Class levels of refinement and quality.

BMW’s latest EV offering heads straight to the heart of the model that arguably coined the company’s “Ultimate Driving Machine” tagline - a compact sporty sedan that should be wearing a 3 badge, but thanks to BMW’s new (and, let’s be honest, a bit weird) naming structure gets a 4 instead. We haven’t driven it yet, but we are expecting very good things indeed.

MG has sold out of its incredibly popular ZS EV, but never fear: a new model is not very far away at all.
MG has sold out of its incredibly popular ZS EV, but never fear: a new model is not very far away at all.
The Mini Electric is an absolute blast to drive. You just can’t drive it far enough on a charge.
The Mini Electric is an absolute blast to drive. You just can’t drive it far enough on a charge.
The most common EV on New Zealand roads, the Leaf is still a solid choice.
The most common EV on New Zealand roads, the Leaf is still a solid choice.
Peugeot’s little e-208 packs the fantastically fun handling as the ICE version. The extra weight over the ICE is noticeable though.
Peugeot’s little e-208 packs the fantastically fun handling as the ICE version. The extra weight over the ICE is noticeable though.

BMW IX3

Want an EV, but don’t necessarily want to change your driving style? Then Peugeot’s e-2008 might be for you.
Want an EV, but don’t necessarily want to change your driving style? Then Peugeot’s e-2008 might be for you.

Perhaps the most pleasantly surprising all-electric offering BMW has dropped so far, the iX3 sounds a bit messy on paper (a RWD EV based on an existing ICE SUV platform), but it all comes together as one of the best all-electric driving experiences the company has offered so far, with a delightfully balanced RWD chassis and impressive performance.

The Polestar 2 was our pick for Top Car of 2021, and is a thoroughly excellent option.
The Polestar 2 was our pick for Top Car of 2021, and is a thoroughly excellent option.
The Taycan is everything a Porsche should be. It also happens to be an EV too, so that
The Taycan is everything a Porsche should be. It also happens to be an EV too, so that's nice.
Prices have crept back up, but the entry Model 3 remains an exceptional bargain when you add in the Clean Car rebate.
Prices have crept back up, but the entry Model 3 remains an exceptional bargain when you add in the Clean Car rebate.
Tesla’s Model Y has finally arrived here. Expect to seem many of them when deliveries start later this year.
Tesla’s Model Y has finally arrived here. Expect to seem many of them when deliveries start later this year.

BMW IX

BMW is aiming straight at the top with its latest EV – the iX is a large SUV (think BMW X5-size) with all the trimmings and, in the case of the top-spec M60, very big power and torque numbers to go with it. While the styling in photographs looks a bit ‘challenging', it looks way better in the metal and while the distant driving experience won’t excite keen drivers, the luxury experience is simply second to none.

HYUNDAI IONIQ

The original Hyundai Ioniq is another relatively long-timer in the EV world, but Hyundai has added in the Kona Electric, as well as expanding the Ioniq name into a family of EVs with the new Ioniq 5. At the lower end of the price spectrum though, the original still offers a compelling and well-built package.

HYUNDAI IONIQ 5

If you strike a strong deal with your local Hyundai dealer you might just get the entry 2WD version of Hyundai’s latest and greatest EV with a shiny $8,625 rebate under the Clean Car scheme, but the rest of the range is comfortably above it. But with those higher prices comes some seriously high-quality vehicles that easily establish themselves as worth it.

HYUNDAI KONA ELECTRIC

Hyundai’s second-ever all-electric offering was, of course, a small SUV, and it upped the technology and battery game over the original Ioniq, but also brought a more dynamic approach to handling. The Kona comes with a choice of two battery sizes and, as a result, not all models make the grade for a Clean Car rebate, plus with the new Ioniq 5 is sitting in the same price range with a bigger battery, more power, more room and rear-wheel drive, that top-spec Kona is hard to justify.

JAGUAR I-PACE

Jaguar’s I-Pace might have been around for four years now, but it remains a simply superb thing to drive in any fashion. While there are some flaky eccentricities like infotainment screens not always coming on when they should, the I-Pace is so damn convincing to drive such things become trivialities. Admittedly worrying trivialities though…

KIA EV6

Kia says it has largely sold out of its Niro EV, but fear not – an all-new one is on its way here. But not just yet, so for now we have to ‘make do’ with the excellent EV6, Kia’s larger EV offering. Related to the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the EV6 represents a sportier, sleeker looking option to the Hyundai, with strong performance and superb quality.

LEXUS UX

Toyota’s quiet first try at a proper EV slipped in under a Lexus badge with the excellent UX 300e that has recently landed here. Based on the same platform as the Corolla, the UX is capable, competent and brilliant to drive, while still remaining every bit a traditional Lexus, which means superb quality slathered generously over those proven Toyota underpinnings.

MAZDA MX-30

With its first EV, Mazda has gone down the quality over quantity route and made the MX-30 a small SUV that also packs a smaller range when compared to other EVs around the same price. It’s all to do with the whole ‘well to wheel’ philosophy that Mazda builds its cars in line with – the bigger the battery, the bigger the carbon emissions involved in building it. Still, small range/big price aside, the MX-30 is a massively high-quality offering that is a blast to drive.

MERCEDES-BENZ EQA

The EQA was Mercedes-Benz’s second step into mainstream EV production, impressively landing at the same price point as its equivalent ICE models. We recently spent several months with one as a long-term test car and loved its blend of luxury and urban commuter friendliness.

MERCEDES-BENZ EQC

Mercedes’ first mass-production EV is an absolute powerhouse of quality, performance and sheer blatant effortlessness. It packs high levels of refinement and its interior is stunningly good, even by Mercedes-Benz standards. It even manages to hit that price parity equation spot on, just like the smaller EQA too.

MG ZS EV

MG’s sole EV offering to date has been the extremely successful ZS small SUV, which has consistently been one of New Zealand’s best-selling EVs since its launch. This is largely because it was also New Zealand’s cheapest new EV, something that likely won’t be changing when the new model arrives later this year. MG has sold out of the previous model, but the new one should be here very soon, complete with a bigger battery and a choice of two models.

MINI ELECTRIC

The Vehicle Formerly Known as the Cooper SE is every bit as massively fun as you would expect a Mini with a super low centre of gravity and instant torque delivery to be. As well as being one of the most enjoyable EVs in the country to drive, it is also one of the cheapest as well. However, the biggest downside of the Mini Electric is its miserly range – Mini claims it is 217km, but we have never even got close to 200 in any example we have tested, even driving like a used Nissan Leaf owner…

NISSAN LEAF

The venerable Leaf is the single most common EV on our roads, thanks to the flood of used imports that made up our electric scene, as well as some extremely sharp pricing of a batch of new Leafs that Nissan Australia couldn’t shift. Older imports aren’t going to offer the best range now, but the newest version (the Leaf e+) has upped the game considerably since the first-gen model.

PEUGEOT E-208

Peugeot's baby EV offers all the utterly brilliant dynamics, fantastic design and impressive quality of the ICE 208. Here’s where we’d normally say “but with the added grunt of low-down electric torque”, but Peugeot has approached things differently with its EVs – the e-208 and ICE 208 are remarkably similar in their power delivery. Which, by the way, is no bad thing, because the ICE 208 is, as mentioned previously, utterly brilliant.

PEUGEOT E-2008

The 208 and its SUV sibling, the 2008, are the first Peugeots to be based on the company’s newest platform that was designed first and foremost as an electric platform, with the addition of ICE engines later, as opposed to the other way around. As a result, like the 208, the e-2008 feels and behaves remarkably like the ICE version – if you are uncertain about having to adopt a new driving style with an EV, then the Peugeot twins are the first place you should look.

POLESTAR 2

Volvo and Geely’s electrified offshoot Polestar landed here at the end of last year with a bang, taking our pick for the Top Car of 2021 with it. Superb quality, excellent range, strong performance and impressive ride quality and handling all marked out the Polestar 2 as something special. The fact it looks cool is just the icing on a very satisfying cake. Prices have jumped a bit with a recent update, but you also get more gear and more grunt.

PORSCHE TAYCAN

It’s a Porsche with instant torque and a low centre of gravity – what else do you need? More? Well, you’re in luck, because the Taycan is superb in almost every way. It is an EV that can tackle a track day, carve up a back road and blast across continents in comfort. Plus the Cross Turismo wagon version is just one of the sexiest things on wheels.

TESLA MODEL 3

While only a single member of the Model 3 range makes it under the Clean Car rebate cutoff – and prices have crept back up after dropping a while back – Tesla’s smallest car still represents superb value for money, even if the quality isn’t quite where it should be in the $80k to $100k arena. The same can’t be said of performance, however, which is exceptional in the Long Range model and absolutely searing in the Performance model.

TESLA MODEL Y

Everything you can say about the Model 3 essentially applies to Tesla’s newest entrant into our market – the Model Y. Essentially a tall Model 3, the Y bolsters Tesla’s SUV line up and also drops one model in under the rebate cutoff. The Y only comes in two five-seater forms here for now – the Standard Range and the Performance model, with Long Range and seven-seat models off the menu for us. For now, at least.

* Tesla says it does not publish official figures for power output as it claims “acceleration figures are more relevant for most people”.

While Tesla still lists the Model S and Model X on its New Zealand, it recently removed all prices. It does, however, still allow orders to be placed for both models.