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Some electric vehicle dealers say they're seeing a spike in sales as fuel prices rise. Managing Editor of NZ Autocar magazine, Richard Edwards spoke to RNZ's Ingrid Hipkiss.
He says there has been a massive increase in interest in the past week. BYD even had to put senior management on the floor to deal with the demand and one dealer in Christchurch who would normally sell two EVs on a Saturday sold 17.
He says people are obviously looking to avoid high petrol prices, but they're also realising this is about energy security and an electric car does remove the risk of any potential driving restrictions due to petrol rationing.
New Zealand is really well set up for this transition and he says it is a myth that the infrastructure can't handle it. We have really good fast charging infrastructure via ChargeNet and the petrol stations, but the great thing is that every house is an EV charger and he has been happily charging via a three-point plug like the vast majority of EV owners while he waits for a faster charger to be installed.
He says it pays to work out what you need in the vehicle and get independent advice (battery tests are available) but there are a lot more low-price new EVs available that are similar in price to petrol equivalents and plenty of good second hand options.
If you are looking for a car that can get you into work every day, you don't need a giant seven seater. The cars are out there, he says. And there are plenty of choices for people who want to disconnect themselves from high petrol prices or restrictions.
When Mike Casey bought his house near Cromwell, it came with gas bottles on the side of the home for water and an expensive diesel system for the underfloor heating. He replaced both of them with a Steibel Eltron system and it's been saving him money ever since. As technical manager Bhawesh Singh told him at the Electrify Queenstown conference, there has been a big influx in enquiries from homes looking to get off the molecules and onto electrons.
Read moreDownloadConfidence that cutting regulations to make solar power more accessible - won't jeopardise people's safety. A new Regulation Ministry reports laid out a potential blueprint to legalise plug-in solar and reduce the time and cost of panel installation. Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey shares his thoughts with Andrew Dickens.
The burgeoning demand for solar was also a chance to address a mismatch between the numbers of training opportunities available and young people searching for work, Casey said. "The mums of New Zealand are telling me that there's not enough apprenticeships for their kids and the solar installers of New Zealand are telling me there's not enough trained people."
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