Cheap to charge, but will they last? The big question hanging over the EV boom – The Front Page

It seems the ongoing uncertainty of whether pumps will dry out has got people thinking greener.

As of April 12, there were 5137 EVs registered this year – up 116% from the same time last year, from 2377.

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, or PHEVs, are at an all-time high, up 75%, going from 1931 to 3389, and hybrids up 5%, from 18,732 to 19,684.

These kinds of numbers haven’t been seen since the Clean Car Discount/post-lockdown boom seen in 2023.

Sellers and auction sites are reporting a huge increase in interest in zero-emissions cars, given that a typical EV might cost as little as $10-15 to “fill” at home overnight.

Motoring expert Clive Matthew-Wilson told The Front Page that the current surge in EV buying may not be the turning point needed to transition New Zealand’s entire fleet.

“Well, it’s obviously become a huge issue since the Iran oil crisis, and people are rushing out to grab the nearest EV as a way of getting to work, but also solving our dependence on oil. It may not end as well as people think that is the EV rush. But, you know, history will show who’s right,” he said.

He’s sceptical about the long-term survival of most EV brands and suspects many won’t exist in 10 years.

“The majority of them … have sprung up because the Chinese government is … replacing property with car companies as a way of sustaining and growing the Chinese economy,“ he said.

“So there’s been 400 EV companies gone out of business in China in recent years … of the 128 … currently in existence about 14 will be financially feasible by 2030.”

When it comes to the most realistic options for the average Kiwi household, he positions Toyota hybrids, not EVs, as the most environmentally reasonable option right now.

“There are plenty of … 30‑year‑old Toyota Corollas that have never had a major repair. And then nothing’s come close to that,“ he said.

“Most taxis in New Zealand are Toyota hybrids … regularly doing 500,000km without a major [repair].

“They’re really pretty good for the environment. And right now for a person on a budget, I’d say they’re the best kind of middle way between what you can afford and what you want.”

Listen to the full episode to hear more about:

• Hybrids vs EVs
• Cost and inequality
• The Clean Car Discount
• Supply constraints and global competition for EVs.

The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5pm. The podcast is presented by Chelsea Daniels, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in world news and crime/justice reporting who joined NZME in 2016.

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