Find out if going electric could work for you
Upgrading to an electric vehicle is good for your bank balance, better for the environment, and very easy to do. It is also a lot of fun. Read on for:
Real fuel savings, an EV can save you hundreds of dollars on fuel and maintenance each year
Compare costs, see how much EVs cost, from $5,000 second hand to newer long range models
Finance options that work, see how you can upgrade to and save from day one, even with interest and repayments•
FAQs, range, how to charge, environmental impact, and more
Range & Reliability
"The range of most EVs is not sufficient."
Most EVs have ranges from 200–500km, longer than most trips and commutes.
The average car in New Zealand drives 11,000 km a year, just over 200 km a week. Many new EVs have over 500 km of range, and many second-hand models have ranges over 200 km, handling the vast majority of trips. If range keeps improving as it has over the years, we may not even need to stop to charge on that 800 km trip, although we have never seen a human bladder last that long.
"EVs can not do 4WD ing."
Most EVs available in NZ today can not, but new 4WD models are coming.
EVs designed for 4WD ing often have superior performance to fossil fuel 4WDs, but these expensive new models like the Ford F 150 Lightning, Mercedes Benz EQB, and Rivian R1 may not be widely available in NZ yet. Meanwhile, many AWD EVs available today will handle most ski field or dirt road exploits with ease.
“EVs can not tow.”
It depends, newer models designed for towing are emerging.
Towing does reduce range, but by how much depends on the weight and whether the car has been designed to tow. One test by the EV Drivers Association showed an Audi e tron decreased its range by 1/3, while a Tesla Model S reduced its range by 1/2, when towing a caravan [1].Most EVs in New Zealand today are not designed for towing significant amounts, though this is expected to change. Models overseas like the Chevy EV are emerging demonstrating that EVs can tow large loads over long distances.
“EVs are not reliable and do not last as long.”
They are more reliable than fossil fuel cars, and require less maintenance.
A study by the German Automobile Club found EVs averaged 3.8 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles, while similarly aged combustion models more than doubled that rate [2]. Since EVs have no oil to replace and fewer moving parts, they have lower maintenance and repair costs [3].Earlier EVs did not last as long as petrol and diesel vehicles, but due to advances in technology, they now have similar lifespans of around 13 years with higher resale value. EV and EV batteries are now often outlasting the cars they are powering [4].
Safety & Technology
“EV batteries degrade quickly and are expensive to replace.”
Modern EV batteries last a long time.
Battery degradation is an issue with some earlier EVs and the replacement costs are high. But modern EV batteries are guaranteed for many years and show very small amounts of degradation. EECA says most new EVs have battery warranties that guarantee the battery for around 8 to 10 years or a distance of 160,000 km [4], which is similar to 5 to 6 years of average driving. Even after that, as with older second hand EVs, their ranges are likely more than capable of doing most everyday commutes, at significantly lower upfront and running costs.
“EVs pose a higher fire risk than non EVs.”
The opposite, data from 2010–2022 suggests that internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles have an almost 100 times higher chance of fire than a passenger EV.
EV Firesafe, an Australian company funded by their Department of Defence and one of the leaders in fire tests for first responders, has recorded 772 battery fires globally among 40 million EVs since 2010. Their initial research findings, measured based on global EV battery fires from 2010 2022, find a 0.001 per cent rate of a passenger electric vehicle battery catching fire. While it is difficult to find a comparison rate for ICE passenger vehicles globally, a range of country based reports we found suggest there is a 0.1 percent chance of an ICE vehicle catching fire [5].
Cost & Convenience
“It takes too long to charge an EV.”
Fast chargers and modern EVs can charge 100 km in under 5 minutes. Overnight slow charging can get you around half a week of driving.
The average car in New Zealand drives just over 200 km a week. The range on new (and a lot of second hand) EVs far exceeds this. You can charge your week’s worth of range in four hours on a 7 kW home charger.
The majority of EV owners actually slow charge overnight with a standard plug (no wall charger needed), which also lets them make the most of time of use plans like free hours or off peak rates.
A 300 kW charger could give a newer EV around 100 km of range in less than five minutes, shorter than a coffee stop. Public chargers are still important for longer trips and those without off street parking, more of these are being built by companies like ChargeNet, BP and Z.
There are not enough public chargers, and home charging needs expensive set ups.”
Most EV owners trickle charge with any old three point plug.
Public charging is mostly for road trips, and most EVs have ranges of around 300 km to 500 km, high time for a coffee and a pie!
80 percent of EV owners do more than half their charging at home [6]. 60 percent of EV owners trickle charge with a standard plug, often overnight where you can make the most of cheaper overnight rates [7]. Many EVs can be programmed to start charging at certain times, or you can buy a cheap timer. Older homes may need to check the wiring and switchboard as prolonged charging for several hours can heat up and be a safety risk.
You can pay more for EV specific charging ports if you want to charge more quickly, divert solar into the car. Bi directional chargers are only for if you want your vehicle to run your home or feed back into the grid, once Vehicle to Home and Vehicle to Grid is enabled in the future.
“EVs are unaffordable.”
Some EVs have higher upfront costs, but prices are dropping and the lifetime cost is much less.
Add low interest finance, and you can save money from day one.
If you are in the market for a car today, one of the main barriers might be the upfront cost, where most EVs are still more expensive than their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts. However, the upfront cost difference between EVs and ICEs is also coming down and projected to reach parity soon. There are also many second hand EVs available at much lower prices. If you have access to low interest long term finance, the repayments (including interest) could be cheaper than the petrol bills you are paying right now [8].
When you add on the operating costs of owning a vehicle, EVs come out on top. With petrol and diesel cars, you are locking yourself into a multi year fuel and emissions subscription that costs $100s–$1000s per year and is projected to keep increasing. For people who drive a lot, such as those living rurally or driving for work, this means the savings from going electric are even greater.
“EVs are only economical with solar panels.”
Even powering an EV via grid electricity is much cheaper than petrol or diesel.
Including road user charges, charging your EV with your own solar is the equivalent of around $1.16 per litre, but charging from the grid is still only $1.51 per litre, much cheaper than petrol at around $2.77 per litre [9]. This outweighs any upfront cost difference that the EV might have in comparison to petrol vehicles, over the lifetime of the vehicle, making it the more economical choice for the average NZ driver. Fast charging is much more expensive, but still cheaper than petrol in most cases.
Enviromental Impact
“EVs are not any better for the environment.”
Compared to fossil fuel vehicles, EVs are much better for the climate, air pollution, and noise.
Fossil fuel vehicles emit so much that even counting manufacturing emissions, if you need to be driving, driving an EV in New Zealand with our highly renewable grid is much better for the environment [10].
When batteries degrade beyond automotive requirements, they can get a second life as stationary energy storage. Counties Energy in Auckland converted 18 old Nissan Leaf batteries into an EV charger that reduces strain on the grid [11]. Redwood Materials, a battery recycling company in the US, combined 792 EV battery packs to produce 63 MWh for a data centre [12].
The materials in batteries are also highly recyclable. For EV lithium–ion batteries, recycling can already achieve >90 percent extraction of lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese [13]. Reaching >99.6 percent for cobalt and nickel, and >95 percent for lithium [14].
By 2050, over half of the demand for cobalt, graphite, and lithium could be met by recycled supply [15]. By moving away from machines that require single use fossil fuels, we have the first real opportunity to create a circular economy [16].
“Road user charges (RUCs) make EVs expensive to run.”
Even with RUCs, most EVs are cheaper to run than petrol cars.
Everyone should pay their fair share for road use. But for most cars, with average driving patterns, EVs will be cheaper even with RUCs included. With the upcoming 2026 changes where RUCs will also be applied to petrol cars, the economics stack up even better for EVs.
References
[1] https://cleantechnica.com/2021/01/18/caravan-trailer-on-the-tow-hitch how-it-affects-ev-range/
[2] https://thedriven.io/2025/04/14/evs-more-reliable-than-ice-vehicles-with-the-best-and-worst-electric-cars-identified/
[3] Burnham, A., Gohlke, D., Rush, L., Stephens, T., Zhou, Y., Delucchi, M. A., ... and Boloor, M. (2021). Comprehensive total cost of ownership quantification for vehicles with different size classes and powertrains (No. ANL/ESD–21/4). Argonne National Laboratory, United States.
[4] Nguyen-Tien, V., Zhang, C., Strobl, E., and Elliott, R. J. (2025). The closing longevity gap between battery electric vehicles and internal combustion vehicles in Great Britain. Nature Energy, 10(3), 354–364.
[5] https://www.evfiresafe.com/ev-fire-faqs
[6] https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/new-zealand-electric-car-myths-debunked
[7] https://www.powerswitch.org.nz/the-best-power-plans-for-charging-your-ev
[8] https://www.rewiring.nz/watt-now/show-me-the-money-electric-economics
[9] This assumes road user charges of $76 per 1000 km, average petrol efficiency 8.72 L/100 km, 1:4 petrol to electric motor efficiency ratio, petrol fuel density 9.5 kWh/L, grid price $0.27/kWh, financed solar price $0.12/kWh, petrol price without excise $1.90/L.
[10] https://www.rewiring.nz/watt-now/why-going-electric-wins-on-emissions
[11] https://countiesenergy.co.nz/media-centre/counties-energy-repurposes-end-of-life-ev-batteries-to-recharge-new-ev-cars/
[12] https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/energy-storage/redwood-used-batteries-data-center
[13] Zhang, J., and Azimi, G. (2022). Recycling of lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese from end-of-life lithium-ion battery of an electric vehicle using supercritical carbon dioxide. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 187, 106628.
[14] Daan Walter, Will Atkinson, Sudeshna Mohanty, Kingsmill Bond, Chiara Gulli, Amory Lovins (2024). The Battery Mineral Loop: The path from extraction to circularity. Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI).
[15] Energy Transitions Commission (2023). Material and Resource Requirements for the Energy Transition.
[16] https://www.rewiring.nz/watt-now/closing-the-loop
Explore EV options
Whether you're just starting to explore your options or ready to take action, the Queenstown Electrification Accelerator offers free, trusted, independent advice to help you move forward with confidence. Get in touch at qea.nz/contact
Frequently Asked Questions
How far can an EV go?
The average Kiwi drives 200km per week. Most new EVs have 300-500+km of range, and many second-hand models offer 200-350km (although this varies depending on the type of driving and conditions). Even affordable older Leafs with under 100km range suit daily commutes, and the gap between charging stations is approximately 75km on most state highways.
Is charging difficult?
Most EV owners (80%) charge at home, typically overnight with a standard three-point plug. A dedicated EV charger means faster charging, but is not necessary. On road trips, a 150kW fast charger can add 300km of range in about 20-30 minutes, perfect for a lunch stop.
What about battery life?
Modern EV batteries are guaranteed for 8-10 years or 160,000km, similar to 15 years of average driving. EV batteries are now expected to outlast the life of the vehicle (20+ years).
What about hybrids?
Hybrids still burn 50-70% of the fuel of petrol vehicles and cost more to maintain than EVs. For most drivers, going full EV makes more financial and environmental sense.
Are they really better on emissions?
Yes, even including manufacturing and charging. In New Zealand's renewable-heavy grid, EVs produce far fewer emissions over their lifetime. Learn more: bit.ly/ev-carbon
Can EVs tow or do 4WD?
Many AWD EVs handle dirt roads and ski fields easily, and many have tow ratings suitable for trailers, but maybe not a big boat. Check out evdb’s full list on towing weights: evdb.nz/l/tow
How likely is an EV to catch fire?
Australian data suggests that internal combustion engine vehicles have nearly 100 times higher chance of catching fire than EVs. Read more here:
Are EVs cheaper overall?
Some EVs may be more expensive compared to their fossil fuel alternatives. For many Kiwi drivers, when you add up purchase price, finance, fuel, and maintenance over the life of the vehicle, an EV works out cheaper than a petrol alternative, even including Road User Charges.
So, If you’re a typical Kiwi driving the average 11,000km per year, an electric vehicle already works out cheaper in the long run for new, and many second hand cars. Any extra you pay upfront for an electric vehicle will likely be more than paid back through fuel savings.
Find an EV
Vehicle Name
Range
Type
Price
Kia EV9 Light (7-seater)
Ford E-Transit
Farizon EV Van
Geely Riddara RD6 Ute
Peugeot e-Expert
Tesla Model 3 New
LDV eDeliver 3
Hyundai Ioniq 5
Kia EV5 Light
Polestar 2
Skoda Enyaq 85 Sportline SUV
Volvo EX30 Single
Nissan Ariya
Toyota Bz4X Pure
Geely EX5
Mini Cooper E
MGS5
OMODA E5
BYD Dolphin
GWM Ora
Tesla Model Y
Tesla Model 3
BYD Atto 3
Nissan Leaf
Hyundai Ioniq
Hyundai Kona EV
Nissan Leaf
EVs cost less to run
EVs use cheaper energy.
Charging an EV at home at off peak electricity rates costs the equivalent of about $1.60 a litre, including road user charges.
EVs also use their energy more efficiently.
In a petrol or diesel car, around 90% of the energy in the fuel is lost as heat and noise, only about a quarter actually moves the vehicle. An EV typically only loses around 20%, and some of that is recovered through regenerative braking.
EVs are cheaper to maintain.
An EV can also save you hundreds of dollars a year in maintenance and service fees. This is because they have fewer moving parts, no oil to change, no exhaust system, and no clutch or spark plugs to replace.
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