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Has customer interest in the Nissan Leaf fallen this autumn?
Reports alleging the 30kWh Leaf battery is suffering excessive degradation have dented customer enthusiasm for New Zealand’s most popular EV, some dealers say.
One says customer interest in all Leafs – not just the 30kWh one – has “dried up”.
Kiwi buyers’ disinterest seems to be even affecting Japan auction prices for the 30kWh Leaf.
Dealers and others in the trade await industry reaction.
We’ll keep you updated.
Toyota New Zealand has launched the cheapest new plug-in vehicle available here – its Prius Prime model. More in this issue.
Dave Boot has opened EV City in Christchurch. About 200 guests included politicians with an EV interest and two French students touring New Zealand in a Jucy prototype electric campervan.
The students also met Californian EVangelist Chelsea Sexton during her trip the length of New Zealand on the latest Leading the Charge tour. Sexton’s view of the tour includes how the country has progressed since her participation in the 2016 event. She’s noticed the proliferation of charging infrastructure.
That continues apace, with WEL Networks still rolling out its distinctive blue chargers in the Waikato as EV interest grows there.
Also on a roll is Mevo, Wellington’s car sharing service. Founding director Erik Zydervelt outlines expansion plans that put Mevo on the move here and in Australia.
And talking of tourism, guided electric bike tours of Auckland are proving popular for Power to the Pedal.
If you want an e-bike of your own – and many do – then try or buy at the Rechargery. See our Micro EVs section for details.
Electrics are all part of the transport revolution and the growing use of artificial intelligence, both covered in recent conferences and outlined in our Intelligent Transport Systems and Autonomous Vehicles pages.
Check out our Diary section to refresh your memory about what happened in the EV world during the past month.
Latest sales figures and how EVs are going, power deals, the popular new and used models available, and more are included.
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