The case for energy loans: read our latest explainer
BYD's Atto 1 is "set to become New Zealand’s cheapest electric car, with a starting retail price of $29,990 plus on-road costs ...This pricing sees the Atto 1 go head-to-head with some of the very cheapest cars on the market, in a move that sees the industry inch closer towards price parity between electric vehicles and internal combustion engine cars. The Atto 1 is just $7000 more than the cheapest car on sale in New Zealand currently, the $22,990 Suzuki Ignis (a model that is being phased out next year). It also undercuts the cheapest Toyota currently on sale, the $33,490 Yaris GX."
The sticker price remains a barrier for many when it comes to EVs, so having these come down should help to increase adoption rates and improve the lifetime cost comparisons.
On average, an EV charged with rooftop solar will save you almost $20,000 over the lifetime of the vehicle and charging via the grid will save you around $10,000. Those numbers factor in the higher upfront costs of EVs, but because electric vehicles are so much better at using energy to create motion than petrol or diesel vehicles, it makes them much cheaper to run and there's no competition when it comes to carbon emissions.
In the UK, EVs overtook petrol cars in October, with one in four new cars fully electric and sales of petrol and diesel cars down by a third.
We are seeing a gradual increase in sales in New Zealand after the big dipper of 2023 when the subsidy was removed (according to Stuff, overall, BEV registrations were up 28.5% in August compared to the same time last year), but the growth is pretty anaemic compared to some other markets.
Rewiring Aotearoa is in favour of universal Road User Charges as we believe it will address an artificial market distortion for vehicles that is not in New Zealand’s economic, fuel security, or resilience interests. Here's what we told the Select Committee.
Read moreDownloadThe story of Uruguay's renewable push and why it's relevant here; EVs reach a tipping point in the EU, but they're growing in developing nations, too; Tauranga Crossing and Endless Energy go vertical with a new solar install; new research shows panels keep on trucking far past their warranty periods; and if you need a hand getting out on the waves, how about getting your own electric towing machine.
Read moreDownloadOur Political Power series aims to show that going electric is good for everyone, no matter where you sit on the political sprectrum. Whether you're looking to lower costs, reduce emissions or increase resilience, it increasingly makes sense at an individual, community and country level and ACT's Todd Stephenson, who bought an electric Jeep around one year ago and built his new home in Queenstown to run on electrons, is a good example of that.
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