Electric vehicles are the way forward for most New Zealanders, new research shows.
And almost half are considering getting one soon, a report released by Mercury says.
In its most recent survey of EV uptake, Mercury found 84% of respondents agree EVs are ‘the way of the future’. Almost half of adult New Zealanders (46%) are considering getting an EV in the next two years.
Evie, Mercury’s electric 1957 Ford Fairlane.
“Kiwis have embraced electric vehicles as key to our transport future at a time when climate change is top of mind for more people than ever before,” Mercury chief marketing officer Julia Jack says.
“New Zealand’s renewable energy credentials are among the best in the world and we can step change this in our generation by choosing a cleaner, cheaper way of getting around.”
Mercury has long promoted the great benefits of EVs, delivering on average 2000kgs of annual reductions in carbon emissions and running at an equivalent of 30c a litre compared with petrol.
“Kiwis are ready to go electric. This should be a major signal to car manufacturers to send more plug-in models our way,” Jack says.
The key to meeting the Government’s target of 64,000 EVs on our roads by the end of 2021 is greater choice in EV models and a strong second-hand market, where most people buy their cars, she says.
Government and business are widely considered fundamental to the second-hand EV market with the Motor Industry Association estimating about 65% of all new vehicle purchases are made by this group.
“The hard part is done – there is a genuine desire and impetus to start plugging in our cars,” Jack says. “Now it’s down to the public and private sectors to take the lead with their own fleets, and help people get these cars in their driveways.”
More than 30 New Zealand corporates have committed to transitioning at least 30% of their fleets to plug-in by 2019. Mercury is part of this group, with 70% of its fleet now electric.
Latest Ministry of Transport figures show New Zealand’s EV fleet is now 9241.
Only 1% of New Zealanders have never heard of EVs and 42% have seen someone driving one – up significantly from 28% in March 2018.
“Electric vehicles are no longer a novelty,” Jack says. “They’ve become a key part of today’s lifestyle – not only are they on our roads, but they constantly feature in mainstream and niche media and have become part of pop culture.
“Story telling is key to building that connection with people. Our very own Evie, a converted plug-in 1957 Ford Fairlane, is a great case in point – capturing people’s imaginations about the wonderful opportunity in electric transport – keeping the best and getting rid of the rest.”
