Source: Radio New Zealand
TradeMe said Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Kona were the most searched electric vehicles. 123RF
TradeMe says rising petrol prices are prompting more people to consider electric vehicles.
The site said it experienced a 142 percent spike in searches for electric vehicles in March compared to February.
The average price of 91 is now over $3.05 a litre according to price monitoring app Gaspy.
TradeMe said there were 125,000 searches for electric vehicles in the first half of March, compared to 50,000 in the same period of February.
TradeMe head of motors Brendan Hall said the end of the government’s Clean Car Scheme in December 2023 created a huge spike in demand previously.
“We saw EV searches peak at 111,000 in October 2023 as buyers rushed to take advantage of the rebate before it disappeared. As expected, interest cooled considerably after it ended, with searches declining in the beginning of 2024.
“The latest interest marks a significant turnaround, showing that while the rebate was a strong motivator, the current pressure of fuel prices has Kiwi drivers seriously considering whether an electric model would suit their needs.”
The average price of an electric vehicle on Trade Me is $39,000.
The most commonly searched cars were a Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Kona.
Hall said a 2015 Tesla Model S was the most viewed and watchlisted EV.
“At the same time, there is currently a 2013 Nissan Leaf with an asking price of $2,500, so there really is something for everybody.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
