Source: Radio New Zealand
Car dealers say it’s the final push for some people to buy electric vehicles. AFP
With fuel prices nudging xxx add price in AM car dealers say it’s the final push for some people to buy electric vehicles.
War between the US, Israel and Iran has created significant disruptions to the price and supply of fuel and oil around the world, particularly due to the closure of the crucial supply route through the Strait of Hormuz.
News of petrol price instability has pushed would-be electric car purchasers into signing the deal.
Coventry Car Hybrid and Electric Car Dealers in Wellington said they sold three Nissan Leaf’s over the weekend, a simple electric vehicle.
In these cases, they said the cars sold themselves. They said people were coming in well researched and know what they wanted, some mentioning the rising fuel prices.
Down the road at Coventry Cars petrol branch, Jaden said buyers were generally heading towards hybrid and electric, but the trend could tick up when people realised just how much the cost of fuel was adding to their weekly expenses.
“In the coming weeks is really when it’s going to take effect in regards of how it’s operating. I think it’s just too soon to realise it just yet,” Jaden said.
“Because it’s only been a week and a half, two weeks. In a couple of weeks we will be able to see if that’s the way it’s heading”
The fuel prices have stopped people in their tracks for Cheye Moran at Hutt City Autoworld Lower Hutt. Those who were about to purchase a new car have pulled out.
“The cost of living is just so high at the moment, so a car is a pretty big commitment and because they are just unsure of where their fuel bills are going to end up, whether or not the cost of running the house is going to increase. And before that starts to level itself out, they are just saying it’s not imperative that they buy a car.”
Enquiries were also picking up for Joshua Schonberger from Electrify Bikes Wellington, where the average e-bike sits between $4-6k.
“We have had customers coming in and saying, ‘I bought this bike and it’s about the same price as a year’s worth of topping up my snapper card,’ so I think that’s a pretty good metric.”
Schonberger said it was still early days and expected people would increasingly consider moving to e-bikes.
But Kyle at Value Motors said purchasing a hybrid, or EV, wasn’t always the best financial move.
“It just depends on the driver what they are doing to be fair. Sometimes you’re only saving 2-3 litres per 100 kilometres. So when you sit down and work out where people are driving and what their style of driving is, it really comes down to whether they are going to save money or not. “
“We sell everything from Dodge Rams to Range Rovers, fuel in those types of vehicles doesn’t affect people really.”
He said for some people, cars were still about enjoying the ride, rather than the price of getting from A to B.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
