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.

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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.

Most EV owners (80%) charge at home [6], typically overnight with a standard three-point plug [7]. Installing a dedicated EV charger at home means you can charge faster, but is not necessary, especially when the average car in NZ drives just over 200 km in a week; one overnight "trickle charge" through a normal power point can get you around half of this. This also means you can make most of time of use plans like free hours or off peak rates.

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Public chargers are still important for longer trips and those without off street parking. Medium-speed chargers can be great for 1 hour stops at libraries, the gym, etc. On road trips, a 150kW fast charger can add 300km of range in about 20-30 minutes, perfect for a lunch stop.

Many AWD EVs handle dirt roads and ski fields easily, and many have tow ratings suitable for trailers, but maybe not a big boat. EVs designed for specifically for 4WDing 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.

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Check out evdb’s full list on towing weights: evdb.nz/l/tow

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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.

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.

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].

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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

Compared to fossil fuel vehicles, EVs are much better for the climate, air pollution, and noise.

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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].

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hen 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].

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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].

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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].

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].

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.

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.