The Skoda Enyaq iV. Source: Skoda
Australian electric vehicles uptake is starting to take off, with the market share jumping to nearly eight per cent of the overall new car market inn April.
But there is still limited choice of what EVs are available in Australia, and at what price. Across the ditch in New Zealand, a strong government clean car discount policy since 2021 has led to far more electric car options than what is currently available in Australia.
This has led to an EV uptake figure that is now well into double-digits.
Here are a few options available in New Zealand that Aussies can’t get their hands on locally.
Australia has traditionally lacked electric hatchbacks. Meanwhile, New Zealand seems to have a few options, including the funky-looking Peugeot e-208.
Powered by a 100 kW motor which drives the front wheels, it delivers up to 260 Nm of torque.
That’s fed by a 50 kWh battery pack which delivers up to 340 km of WLTP range and has an official efficiency of 16.4 kWh for every 100 km distance travelled.
It’s also fairly zippy with the 260 Nm of torque getting it from 0-100 km/h in 8.1 seconds.
The all-electric hatch is priced at $NZ59,990 before the government’s $8,625 rebate.
Continuing with the electric hatchback theme, the Opel Corsa is also electrified and comes in the form of the Corsa-e SRi model.
Like the Peugeot, it delivers up to 100 kW of power from a 50 kWh battery but gets range and efficiency improvements.
The Corsa-e SRi delivers up to 383 km of WLTP range while efficiency is also better at 15.2 kWh/100 km.
The Opel Corsa-e also starts at $NZ59,990 before the government rebate while coming with a 5 years warranty.
Affordable SUVs are all the rage and on top of MG and BYD models available in New Zealand, Ssangyong is also dipping its toes in by offering an electric version of the Korando SUV.
The Korando e-Motion is powered by a 140 kW motor that delivers up to 360 Nm of torque. It is paired with a 61.5 kWh battery pack that can deliver up to 339 km of WLTP range.
This is more than the standard range MG ZS EV which also competes in the same segment.
With the motor delivering higher torque than the smaller hatchbacks, it also does the 0-100 km/h sprint in a respectable 7.84 seconds.
Korando e-Motion is also fairly efficient given its boxier body with a rated efficiency of 16.8 kWh/100 km.
Pricing-wise, like the Opel and Peugeot hatchbacks, it starts at $NZ59,990 which is a bit of a bargain given the battery size and range on offer.
Fiat in New Zealand announced the pricing and specs of the 500e electric hatchback before Christmas last year.
Now the first examples have landed in the country for New Zealand customers. Pricing in New Zealand starts at $NZ59,990 before on-road costs.
Earlier this year, the Fiat 500e has just been announced in Australia with a starting price of $A$52,500 before on-roads.
It’s expected to arrive at dealerships by mid-2023, which happens to be soon.
New Zealand saw the Mustang Mach-E launch and arrive ahead of Australia. The specs are similar to that announced for the Australian market.
Customers across the Ditch can configure their Mustang Mach-E with prices starting from $NZ79,990 for the RWD model and deliveries have already begun.
The bulk of the 98 vehicles delivered to New Zealand were in April with May making up 25 of them according to the NZ transport authority.
Given its high price, Ford is unlikely to sell too many of these when vehicles like the Atto 3 start at under $NZ59,000.
Earlier this month, Ford announced the pricing of the new Mach-E for Australia. It’s still months from customer delivers in the country.
Skoda and Volkswagen share the same parent company but unlike Australia, New Zealanders can actually order the Skoda Enyaq electric SUV.
In Europe, the Skoda Enyaq is very popular so in a progressive EV market, it’s also expected to do well.
It’s available in three variants including the Sporline, Sportline Max and Coupe Sportline Max.
It starts at $NZ92,990 for the base Sportline variant that offers up to 532 km or range with a single motor. That’s thanks to an 80 kWh battery pack which charges at up to 135 kW when connected to an appropriate DC fast changer.
This powertrain produces 150 kW of power and 310 Nm of torque which is sent to the rear wheels.
Although the Enyaq is yet to see many deliveries into New Zealand, they’re expected to start shortly.
Meanwhile, here in Australia, it’s unlikely that the popular premium 5-seater SUV will arrive in 2023.
With more options for EVs available in New Zealand, the higher uptake makes sense, and with many more EV models to come, the Kiwis will benefit significantly on the back of sound policy.
We hope to see the same here in Australia as the federal government is finally implementing the long-awaited National EV Strategy.
On the back of that, it could send a positive signal to brands like Opel, Peugeot, Ssangyong and others to send more EVs our way.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.
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