I’m a fan of fully electric vehicles. I’ve been driving them for years – starting with a Nissan Leaf around seven years ago, then moving to a Tesla (or two) and since that time we have added further makes and models of EVs to our company and family fleet. I was an early adopter, and really enjoy driving my very quiet electric vehicle.
Starting out with an EV with the smaller range and progressing to longer range vehicles, I have a very good understanding now about these vehicles – charging, range, the positives and the negatives. The whole package of driving an EV is different, and takes some adjusting to. But I love it!
EV’s (fully electric vehicles) are the way of the future and are set to change the way we move around in the decades ahead. Most of the main vehicle manufacturers now offer fully electric vehicles as well as hybrid vehicles.
At Benefitz (publisher of this magazine) we now have seven fully electric vehicles in the fleet, and more will be coming. We also have Hybrids – they’re great vehicles
as well.
During January I talked to a handful of other Shore people who drive EVs – John Cobb, Patricia Holden, Wayne Mildon, Kirsten Allen and Ali Dunlop. My hope is sharing their collective experiences of driving a variety of fully electric vehicles will help Channel Mag readers to better understand the world of EV driving. I have also provided a summary of my experience and advice at the end of this feature.
AIDAN BENNETT: Thanks for agreeing to this Ali. What EV do you drive and is this your first electric vehicle?
Ali Dunlop: I drive a 2019 Volkswagen E Golf which I bought in October 2020. Previous to that I drove a hybrid Mitsubishi Outlander (which had about a 50km range on electric before switching over to petrol). Having dipped our toes in the EV world, my husband and I purchased a used Nissan Leaf for our kids to learn to drive in, and for their use once they were licensed. We all enjoyed driving this and even with its limited range, it opened my mind to moving to a fully electric vehicle.
AB: Why did you choose that particular vehicle and what made you change to an EV?
AD: We quickly realised when our first teenager started driving, that I no longer needed to have a family wagon – I could easily get by with a smaller car as I wasn’t driving three kids/teens around anymore. Given that we were changing my car and we’d been keen on a full EV for a while, it seemed like a good time to make the switch. I like that the E Golf looks like any other car and doesn’t sing its EV’ness too proudly.
AB: What do you estimate your overall vehicle running costs have dropped by?
AD: I really can’t say with any accuracy, but I know it’s a lot. Since buying my E Golf, the price of petrol has increased significantly and I’m just glad not to have to worry about that.
AB: Do you mainly charge at home? Which chargers are you most likely to use if you are not charging home?
AD: Yes I mainly charge at home. When needed, I use a public charging station but this is usually when I’m doing a trip away. I have a ChargeNet account and charging token which makes charging very easy. The corresponding app makes it all a very simple process. The token is helpful (crucial actually) when I’m plugging in somewhere that doesn’t have cell coverage (eg. Rangitaiki on the Taupo-Napier Road) as I can’t use the app then.
AB: What do you love about driving an EV versus a petrol/diesel vehicle?
AD: I love the quietness, the knowledge that I’m not adding to air pollution and the savings from not buying petrol. My E Golf is a very enjoyable drive.
AB: I’m an EV driver of some years myself and it is a bit of an adjustment in terms of ensuring you always have enough charge/range. Did you find that adjustment easy or difficult at the start?
AD: As I moved from plug in hybrid to fully electric, it wasn’t too tricky a transition. I was used to plugging my car in most nights and when I’m just driving around town, I’ve generally plenty of range for my needs. Things get more complicated on longer trips, but I reckon I have a handle on that now.
AB: Get any range anxiety? What advice would you offer to those who have range anxiety or are using range as an excuse not to move to driving an electric vehicle?
AD: My parents always reminded me that as a child, when I first realised that cars could run out of petrol, I had massive range anxiety every time we went anywhere in the car – and that was in the 70s, long before it was even a thing! Given that, it’s quite funny that I now drive a fully electric car and range anxiety is a real consideration. I’m generally quite conservative, and this approach seems to flow over to my EV driving/charging habits in that I’m happy to stop for an extra charge just to be on the safe side. I often drive to Napier for work and have made that trip many times in my E Golf. On a full charge it has about a 240km range, so I generally charge at Tirau, Taupo and do a quick top-up at one of the 2 chargers on the Taupo-Napier road. I usually stop for an extra charge on the way back from Napier to Auckland, as the Napier-Taupo road is so much steeper heading in that direction – not only does it use more power to get up the hills, but the descent on the Taupo side is gentler so there’s less opportunity for recuperation. Driving in wet conditions chews through the range more quickly too, so if it looks like rain, I’ll allow for another stop to charge somewhere. So – yes, I do sometimes get range anxiety on long trips, but allowing plenty of time for frequent charging stops is the antidote.
AB: Are your friends moving to EV’s as well or are they resisting?
AD: I guess I have a few friends who drive EVs but I don’t really pay much attention to what cars my friends drive. Whilst I love my E Golf, I hope I’m not one of those painfully smug EV drivers who try to convert everyone else. Each to their own, I say. I don’t think EVs are going to save the earth but I’m happy to reduce the pollution in my hood at least.
AB: Complete the following… the trip in my EV I love, is…
AD: Driving from home in Takapuna to Matheson Bay, near Leigh. Barring terrible traffic, it’s about a 50-minute drive and is an easy return trip on a single charge. It’s a beautiful spot that has been very much enjoyed by me and my wider family for many decades.
AIDAN BENNETT: John, what EV do you drive and is this your first electric vehicle?
JOHN COBB: My EV is an Audi E-tron and it is my first EV. I was lucky enough to receive one of the first E-trons after a purchaser cancelled their order, luckily the specs were exactly what I was after and I didn’t need to wait six months, which was the lead time back then.
AB: Why did you choose that particular vehicle and what made you change to an EV?
JC: I looked at all the available EV options in the type of vehicle I was after. I wanted an SUV as I need the boot space which narrowed the choices down. Obviously range was a big factor and at the time the E-tron rated very well on that score. I like technology and inventions, I’m also very aware of the environmental impacts of waste and pollution.
AB: What do you estimate your overall vehicle running costs have dropped by?
JC: I haven’t thought about it until recently. We really don’t notice the cost of charging on our power bill, it doesn’t seem to have changed that much. With fuel prices at current levels, I’m probably spending $100 less a week. The other advantage of EV’s is they require almost no servicing. The only money I have spent on my car over the three years I have owned it is on new tyres.
AB: Do you mainly charge at home? Which chargers are you most likely to use if you are not charging home?
JC: I mostly charge at home. On the odd occasion I will use a charging station. I have an account and a FOB I can use at Chargenet stations. There are Chargenet chargers in the Downtown Car Park (city), which also has the advantage of getting a parking space on the ground level! I have an app on my phone that tells me where the nearest charging station is, and there are more popping up all the time.
AB: What do you love about driving an EV versus a petrol/diesel vehicle?
JC: How quiet they are. Having driven an EV the lack of noise, especially on longer trips, is very noticeable. …and not having to visit a patrol station!
AB: I’m an EV driver of some years myself and it is a bit of an adjustment in terms of ensuring you always have enough charge/range. Did you find that adjustment easy or difficult at the start?
JC: I admit I was a bit nervous at the start but it has become second nature and I have a charger right next to my car in the garage. We have been on a few longer drives, outside the range, and whilst we found chargers along the way it was a bit of a hassle. I believe the charging network is improving, that will help.
AB: Get any range anxiety? What advice would you offer to those who have range anxiety or are using range as an excuse not to move to driving an electric vehicle?
JC: It depends on how far you travel. For me most of my travel is less than 100km’s a day and my home charger easily replenishes the battery overnight. If you are regularly travelling very long distances I would recommend considering if an EV is right for you, maybe look at a Hybrid.
AB: Are your friends moving to EV’s as well or are they resisting?
JC: About 50:50. Some are like me and enjoy adopting new technology and some are petrol heads!
AB: Complete the following… my perfect electric vehicle
would be…
JC: … an Audi E-Tron EV with a bit more range.
AIDAN BENNETT: Thanks for agreeing to this Patricia. What EV do you drive and is this your first electric vehicle?
PATRICIA HOLDEN: We’ve also been early adopters and huge supporters of the movement in general. I recently traded in my Tesla Model X for a Mercedes EQC400. This is my third EV. Prior to the Model X, I drove a BMWi3 with a range extender. We had one of the original i3’s which had only 120 km range on electricity. I traded up to the Tesla as soon as they became available in New Zealand because I am a huge fan of what they’ve done as a company to catapult the electric vehicle movement forward. I moved to the Mercedes EQC400 after owning the Model X for four years (happily reselling the X into the second hand market) because it is still an SUV, but smaller than the X. We are a full EV family. Having owned a Tesla Model 3 as well as a Holden Volt previously, my husband Gary currently drives a Porsche Taycan and we bought our daughter a VW Golf fully electric when she started driving two years ago.
AB: Why did you choose that particular vehicle and what made you change to an EV?
PH: Tesla gave the electric vehicle market legs. It is the most innovative car company. I’d been coveting a Tesla since their appearance on the market. The world is aware that oil is running out and decarbonising the climate is essential. With New Zealand moving to 100% renewable electricity, we like to think that everyone will choose an EV eventually. Personally, I love the style, the comfort, the power of EVs and that I don’t have to get messy and smelly filling up my car at the petrol station. There is no oil to change, little maintenance at all that needs doing. It is so convenient just plugging in my car in the garage. I get asked this all the time, you probably do too, Aidan, the cars just plug into regular 220 volt plugs to charge. We installed Tesla fast chargers in our garage which speeds it up but have found it unnecessary in the long run to have the fast charger at home.
AB: What do you estimate your overall vehicle running costs have dropped by?
PH: This is probably the biggest benefit to buying electric. Petrol is running about $2.50 per litre now. Night-time electricity (off-peak) prices are the equivalent of about 10 to 20c per litre. That is a 95% reduction in running costs. In addition to fuel savings, with no engine oil, transmission fluid, fuel system, etc., the servicing costs are next to nil. Even brakes wear down much slower. I think this is the key reason why all car manufacturers are switching to electric drive.
AB: Do you mainly charge at home? Which chargers are you most likely to use if you are not charging home?
PH: For the most part, we treat our EV’s like our phones and laptops. We plug them in when we get home and program the on-board computers to charge them at night to take advantage of the off-peak power prices. We have taken our Tesla’s on a few road trips and found the Tesla super chargers worked very well for the small power boost required on each trip to get us to our final destinations. On arrival at those destinations, we were always able to plug the cars in at hotels or baches. We see more super chargers coming every month – the GPS on the car finds you the nearest charger. I understand the newly refurbished BP station heading north out of town has installed fast chargers. It makes sense for petrol stations to offer both services given they are already set up for travellers’ pit stops. We need one on the way back into town – range anxiety happens when you’re just about home, not when you’re leaving home.
AB: What do you love about driving an EV versus a petrol/diesel vehicle?
PH: The ride is much smoother (no gear changing), the car is quieter (no engine noise), EV’s are faster (crazy fast), cheaper to run and the cabin technology is generally more advanced. It’s far more convenient to plug in my car in my garage, but not everyone has that capability. Our son runs an extension cord out a window to charge his Tesla at home. Cleaner, quieter, and easier.
AB: I’m an EV driver of some years myself and it is a bit of an adjustment in terms of ensuring you always have enough charge/range. Did you find that adjustment easy or difficult at the start?
PH: Most definitely in the early days, it was an adjustment and I’ve had a few worrisome trips. I think the key is to get in the habit of keeping it topped up based on your normal driving schedule. Our daughter found she only had to charge her EV up on weekends as her 300km range was enough to get her to Kristin School (Albany) and back all week without worry. I tend to plug mine in every other day – 400 km range is plenty to last me an entire week of running around but it’s quicker to top it up in small amounts. I’m always ready for a quick jaunt up to Matakana or out to the Waitakere’s for a big walk.
AB: Get any range anxiety? What advice would you offer to those who have range anxiety or are using range as an excuse not to move to driving an electric vehicle?
PH: I drove our i3 up to Gibbs Farm a few years back and had severe range anxiety on the way home. I hit “home” as the destination on the GPS and the computer calculated I would run out before I got home. That car had a range extender, but there wasn’t enough fuel in the tank to charge the battery for me. I needed to get to the motorway. The car shifted into conservation mode (turning off the AC), I turned off the radio and by recharging itself on all the downhill sections of that road, I made it rather comfortably to the motorway where I could put $10 worth of gas in the little gas tank and drove it home without incident. It was a relief to see how the computer on board managed the situation.
AB: Are your friends moving to EV’s as well or are they resisting?
PH: We have a couple of friends who still say they’ll never buy an EV, several who were very negative on the concept early on who are now looking at buying an EV, but from the start, most people we know have queried our reasoning for buying one and been genuinely keen to get one for themselves. As you mentioned, the market for EV’s is constantly expanding and there’s a car to suit every budget and driving style so many of our friends are talking about their next car being an EV. I suspect within 10 years everyone will be driving an EV as used EVs trickle throughout the market.
AB: Complete the following… my perfect electric vehicle would be a…
PH: I love my current car. Mercedes has delivered on every front and having the new dealership so close by is very handy if I ever need to do a supercharge or need anything at all. The only reason I would need to change this vehicle in the future would be to get a longer range. The EQC400 has a range of approximately 400km fully charged, whereas a 500km range would be comforting. I don’t do big road trips, three to four hours one way is as far as I’d drive and 400km range is adequate, but 500km range would allow for traffic congestion delays without any range anxiety.
AIDAN BENNETT: Wayne, thanks for agreeing to this. What EV do you drive and is this your first electric vehicle?
WAYNE MILDON: We drive a Peugeot e2008. This vehicle is our sixth Peugeot over a number of years and our first EV.
AB: Why did you choose that particular vehicle and what made you change to an EV?
WM: Our previous car was a Peugeot 2008 with the 1.2 litre petrol engine. The size of the car and the flexibility it allows fitted the two of us and two dogs. When the EV was announced we downsized to the one EV 2008, trading in the engine 2008 and an engine 4008. Both Peugeot. Ease of use, no emissions, and home charging helped the decision. That the e2008 is a great driving car just adds to the overall enjoyment.
AB: What do you estimate your overall vehicle running costs have dropped by?
WM: Our vehicle has travelled 10,500kms in this first year. Petrol $$$ savings $3200.
Servicing is reduced extensively. There was one yearly service, at a fixed cost, and we have yet to see any tyre wear, no oil changes, no ICE engine issues… as there is not any ICE! (Internal combustion engine). Our energy supply company, Genesis, offers an overnight EV rate designed to charge overnight after 9pm at a substantially reduced charge rate. Over the last year we had one month that had higher power consumption than the preceding year/same month. And that was $26.00 for that month. Maybe we were more power consumption aware, or used less power overall, but the year on year cost was $26.00. Perhaps a colder winter month. Who knows.
AB: Do you mainly charge at home? Which chargers are you most likely to use if you are not charging home?
WM: We have a WallBox charger unit at home in the garage. This was purchased and fitted at the time we took delivery of the e2008. Easy to use, and software updates are easy. The WallBox and the e2008 check with each other at 9.10 pm and the recharge just happens. ChargeNet is the public charge unit we have joined for those occasions when a small top up is needed. ChargeNet now has multiple locations north and south of Auckland and are easy to find. We have travelled to the Coromandel on two occasions. The e2008 was topped off overnight at home. We then drove to Tairua, stopped at the ChargeNet location, hooked the EV up for an 80% charge and walked the dogs for 20 minutes. Returned to the car, unhooked, and continued the journey.
AB: What do you love about driving an EV versus a petrol/diesel vehicle?
WM: The Peugeot e2008 is fitted with a matched set of quiet Pirelli tyres, and the vehicle has good sound insulation so it is a very smooth, calm and quiet vehicle to drive. The issue that breaks the calmness of driving the EV is switching the drive from ECO to Sport Mode. A little more concentration is required, and the look on the face of the V8 driver is priceless as you move forward on a green light while he is trying to get his torque to do something.
AB: I’m an EV driver of some years myself and it is a bit of an adjustment in terms of ensuring you always have enough charge/range. Did you find that adjustment easy or difficult at the start?
WM: The decision of when to place the EV on charge is easy, because when a Smart Watch, a Cellphone, a Tablet or Laptop gets down to 25% and you still need the use of any of the items, then you just put the item or the EV on the home charge unit for 30 minutes and it is no longer an issue. But if you a person who runs all battery devices to Zero % charge, then a serious attitude adjustment is required.
AB: Get any range anxiety? What advice would you offer to those who have range anxiety or are using range as an excuse not to move to driving an electric vehicle?
WM: We don’t have range anxiety as we learned when the Public ChargeNet Fast Charges are so we plan 200kms as an average to the next charger, wherever that is. We have friends who have an older EV with a 100km range for Devonport/Takapuna Driving, charge the EV most nights and have never had a problem. Another friend planned a return trip to Queenstown in a 350km range EV. He planned a stop every 250km for a coffee, pit stop and an 80% power charge. They never had a problem.
AB: Are your friends moving to EV’s as well or are they resisting?
WM: Those friends resisting the changeover say the $$$ cost of buying the EV. The petrol heads or the trailer towers are never going to change. We have five friends and family acquaintances who have made the EV change and perhaps another five thinking about it. And maybe 20+/- who will not change.
AB: Complete the following… the trip in my EV I love, or would love to do, is…
WM: … We enjoy both the Bay of Islands and The Coromandel, and we have the EV that can effortlessly make the journey in comfort, and stress free. We travel frequently to both places.
AIDAN BENNETT: Kirsten, thanks for agreeing to this. What EV do you drive and is this your first electric vehicle?
KIRSTEN ALLEN: I recently bought a Peugeot e-208 and this is the first electric vehicle I have owned. I’ve been wanting to buy an electric vehicle for a while and have looked at a few before deciding to buy the Peugeot.
AB: Why did you choose that vehicle and what made you change to an EV?
KA: I love the style of the car. It was also more reasonably priced than some of the other fully electric vehicles available. With the environment and sustainability issues in mind, I had been planning to move to an electric car for a while. This is perfect for driving around the city and getting to work.
AB: What do you estimate your overall vehicle running costs have dropped by?
KA: I haven’t had the car for long but estimate our costs will drop by around $200 per month on fuel.
AB: Do you mainly charge at home? Which chargers are you most likely to use if you are not charging home?
KA: At this stage I have mainly charged the car at home but have downloaded the ChargeNet app and will probably use that as it seems quite user friendly.
AB: What do you love about driving an EV versus a petrol/diesel vehicle?
KA: I feel like it’s the right thing to do. It’s also very fun to drive – it’s so quiet - and has some great features.
AB: I’m an EV driver of some years myself and it is a bit of an adjustment in terms of ensuring you always have enough charge/range. Did you find that adjustment easy or difficult at the start?
KA: As mentioned before, I haven’t owned the car long, but at this stage it seems a very easy adjustment. I guess you just need to be more conscious about how much charge is left and plan ahead so that you charge it before you go anywhere!
AB: Get any range anxiety? What advice would you offer to those who have range anxiety or are using range as an excuse not to move to driving an electric vehicle?
KA: I think it’s probably a matter of how you will use the car. My car has more than enough range for what I will be using it for, such as driving to work (which is not far from home), shopping and ferrying children to various activities around the North Shore. Unless you are driving very long distances every day, I can’t really see that range would be much of a problem.
AB: Are your friends moving to EV’s as well or are they resisting?
KA: I know a few people who have bought EVs. I think they are becoming more popular.
AB: Complete the following… the trip in my EV I love, or would love to do, is…
KA: I love driving it around the city. It’s the perfect car for me.
My early days of driving an EV were certainly based around range. Not anxiety, but it was always something that I needed to think about. Those early days of driving our first EV that did 100kms to a charge were quite different to our current vehicles that are capable of 250-450kms to a charge – which is more than enough. But charging and range are really the big things that make driving an EV different.
With a normal petrol or diesel vehicle the options for filling up are numerous – we take that for granted. The difference with an EV is that you have to plan ahead to ensure your vehicle has enough charge for your day of driving ahead. If you are unorganised with this type of stuff (i.e. not good at charging your phone etc.) then driving an EV could be painful. While there are charging options increasing all the time, the reality is charging an EV is different and not as convenient as pulling into a petrol station and filling up. The options are less, and it takes longer.
Range. Vehicle manufacturers will quote a driving range of a vehicle – both normal ICE vehicles and EVs – and that range will only be possible if you drive like a ‘Nana’ (sorry Nana’s!) and the conditions are perfect. This doesn’t matter so much in a normal vehicle because you just fill up at your nearest service station! Once again it is harder with an EV as your options are less to charge/fill up. It will become easier as more and more charging options come along. And they are.
The reality with EVs (and I suggest it is probably no different with normal vehicles) is there are many things that chew up the range on a drive. The way/speed you drive, the conditions (when it’s colder/windier), if you are essentially travelling up hill, things like air-conditioning and anything that creates drag.
An example that we’ve experienced is driving from Wairarapa to The Chateau, central North Island. This is very much uphill and our range disappeared quicker than normal. We also did a trip from Auckland to Cambridge with two electric bikes on the back that had weight and drag. Our range halved which meant we couldn’t get down and back on one charge – which we would normally achieve.
These things about range are just fact. Most EV drivers come to understand it and plan accordingly. That is obvious from this chat with the drivers in this feature – range is not a problem for them. And it’s the same with us.
For us there are lots of other things that make driving our EVs a real pleasure. As these guys have detailed in their answers, we feel good about driving environmentally friendly vehicles. We also really appreciate the low cost of driving – we reckon about a quarter of the normal cost when you consider the price of the vehicle, the cost to run the vehicle and the elimination of most servicing costs. None of us are petrolheads, so we don’t miss the sound of the engine or any performance aspects. The truth is these vehicles are all very quick off the mark and great performers!
My advice is EVs are great. They are the future. But… if you’re not a planner and unorganised you might find it painful until the charging infrastructure is better. The good thing is it is getting better all the time.
