Safety

Safety ratings (from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency)

Economy

Electrical energy consumed from the battery over a given distance.

WLTP Consumption

How much electricity the vehicle consumes per kilometre of travel - including charging losses

WLTP measures recharged electric energy from the mains which allows comparison of running costs.

See more about WLTP range and efficiency

Highway Range

An estimate of how far the vehicle will travel on a single charge, when driving only on open road (100 km/h).

WLTP range, however, tends to match mostly urban travel (under 80 km/h).

See more about WLTP range and efficiency

Real Range Estimate

How far the vehicle will travel on a single charge, accounting for local driving conditions.

Adjust for the portion of urban/city driving vs highway (100 km/h) that you typically do.

Consumption ⚡️

How much electrical energy does the vehicle use while driving?

Often displayed on the dashboard, this is different to WLTP consumption - where charging losses are included (helpful in comparing running costs).

Higher speeds increase energy consumption (due to aerodynamic drag and reduced opportunity for electricity regeneration).

Vehicle-to-load (V2L) ⚡️

V2L allows electricity to flow from the battery to power appliances.

Some vehicles have interior NZ sockets, while others require an adapter be plugged into the Type 2 exterior charging socket.

Tow Capacity

Unbraked (kg) / Braked (kg)

Most EVs can have towbars fitted for carrying bikes (but not for towing loads).

Towing a load will significantly decrease range (typically by 50%).

See all EVs ranked by tow capacity.

Boot Space 🧳

Seats up (Litres) / Seats down (Litres)

The volume of space available.

Frunk

Volume (Litres)

The American term "front trunk" indicates how much storage space is available under the bonnet of the car.

Battery Capacity 🔋

Total (Gross) kWh / Usable (Net) kWh

Usable battery capacity is the number of kilowatt-hours that the vehicle can access.

Complete guide to EV batteries.

Battery Chemistry 🔋

Lithium-ion batteries have several different cathode materials. Each material has tradeoffs between energy density, safety, cost, and longevity.

LFP - Longer life, but less energy dense.

NMC - More energy dense, but more expensive.

Which EVs have LFP?.

AC Charge

The maximum speed the EV can charge at home or a public AC charger.

Speeds of over 7.4 kW require 3-phase power.

Fast Charge ⚡

The maximum speed the EV can charge at a DC fast charger.

Speed is limited by the capacity of the charger.

In NZ, fast chargers are typically 25 kW, 50 kW, 100 kW, 175 kW, and 300 kW.

Cold temperatures and the vehicle's charging curve also dictate peak speed (i.e. a warm battery at a lower state-of-charge will charge quicker).