Plug vs pump–an electric car cost comparison
Buying an EV
We’ll come right out and say it - at this stage, electric cars are more expensive to buy than petrol ones. You’ll make the savings in the long term, rather than right off the bat.
However, the upfront cost is definitely decreasing. And don’t forget about secondhand options, too. Here we’ve laid out some popular electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids in New Zealand, and what you’re looking at to buy them new and secondhand.
Electric vehicles
Nissan Leaf
| Cost to buy new (latest model) |
$59,990 |
| Fully electric range | 270km |
| Secondhand cost (model dependent) |
From around $8,000 |
Volkswagen e-Golf
| Cost to buy new (latest model) |
$64,490 |
| Fully electric range | 220km |
| Secondhand cost (model dependent) |
From around $45,000 |
Hyundai Ioniq
| Cost to buy new (latest model) |
$65,990 |
| Fully electric range | 311km |
| Secondhand cost (model dependent) |
From around $40,000 |
Renault Zoe
| Cost to buy new (latest model) |
$68,990 |
| Fully electric range | 300km |
| Secondhand cost (model dependent) |
From around $30,000 |
BMW i3 electric
| Cost to buy new (latest model) |
$77,200 |
| Fully electric range | 260km |
| Secondhand cost (model dependent) |
From around $30,000 |
Hyundai Kona
| Cost to buy new (latest model) |
$77,990 |
| Fully electric range | 449km |
| Secondhand cost (model dependent) |
From around $60,000 |
Tesla Model 3
| Cost to buy new (latest model) |
$79,990 |
| Fully electric range | 460km |
| Secondhand cost (model dependent) |
N/A |
Tesla Model S
|
Cost to buy new |
$154,900 |
| Fully electric range | 610km |
| Secondhand cost (model dependent) |
From around $85,000 |
Mitsubishi I-Miev
| Cost to buy new (latest model) |
N/A |
| Fully electric range | 160km |
| Secondhand cost (model dependent) |
From around $15,000 |
Costs as at May 2020. New costs direct from the manufacturer. Secondhand costs using TradeMe Classifieds.
Cost to charge an EV
Charging an EV costs the equivalent of around $0.30/litre of petrol - which is where some pretty epic savings come in.
The Ministry of Transport reckons the average car in New Zealand travels around 11,500 kilometres per year. If that’s you, you’re looking at about $300* in annual charging costs on our EV Plan. It’s designed just for EV drivers - essentially, you get cheaper rates for charging overnight. It’s our way of saying thanks for choosing to drive electric and helping take better care of our environment.
EV Plan
*Based on a 2015 Nissan Leaf.
Maintenance
Maintaining an electric car is a whole lot easier when you don’t have a combustion engine to deal with. While a standard petrol vehicle has roughly 2,000 moving parts to keep oiled and serviced, a fully-electric car has about 20. It doesn’t need oil and rarely needs servicing, so the main thing to consider is the potential cost of replacing your battery. It always pays to check what guarantees the manufacturer is offering on their batteries - you might find you’re covered for up to 10 years.
So what’s the verdict?
While you’re paying more upfront for an electric vehicle, chances are you’ll be saving money from that point onwards. No petrol costs, currently no Road User Charges and minimal maintenance costs all help make driving electric way easier on the wallet.