Hamilton Electric Vehicles opens

This story first appeared in the April issue of AutoTalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

Nicholas Down was asked to come to Hamilton from Wellington to set up Hamilton Electric Vehicles – the city’s only EV centre, specialising in just battery electric vehicles.

More than 200 people attended the official opening of the Hamilton business on March 22 at the corner of Kent and Hall streets, Frankton.

The attendance thrilled Down who attributed some of the keen interest to Hamilton Electric Vehicles’ involvement in the EVolocity events organised through the Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) where teams of students design and build their own electric two to four-wheel racers for regional and national events.

“It’s given us a huge amount of traction in Hamilton,” he says.

Nearly 20 EVs were displayed at the opening, and the EV specialist stocks only used and imported EVs.

“We don’t sell or stock hybrids,” Down says.And that includes plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), although the company can order one if a customer requires.

But it doesn’t have anything other than battery electrics in the huge 1300 square metre showroom.

The leased showroom itself has had $2.5 million renovations and resembles more what you would expect from Tesla.

Indeed, Down says the showroom is based on the Tesla concept, with no need for customers, staff and vehicles to be outside in bad weather.

“We have a full underground carpark with lift access so we’re not affected by the weather.”

And Down doesn’t talk about selling EVs but rather about customers “investing” in them.

“We have a full bumper-to-bumper 12-month warranty with absolutely no conditions, free warrant of fitness for life, 24-hour roadside assistance, free puncture repair and tyre care, and more.

“We want to give customers the confidence that they are making the right investment.”

Hamilton Electric Vehicles has exclusive insurance facilities and can offer new customers and existing EV owners amazing value to cater for all their insurance and mechanical insurance needs.

It will also guarantee a loan replacement EV for customers should they want it for as long as needed, for whatever reason, including if they are involved in an accident and their car is being repaired at the panel shop.

The company customer promise is based on the “anywhere, anytime, anything” belief.

There is no time limit on how long a customer will benefit from Hamilton EV’s customer care promise.

“If you are a Hamilton EV customer you will be spoken to in a genuine, open, fair and honest manner – we will look after you,” Down says.
“That is our promise.

“We know EVs inside out, so we have total faith and confidence in the servicing and maintenance,” he says.

“No other EV dealer in the country does a full service before the car is delivered.

“At Hamilton EV we believe this is absolutely critical, whether we sell one car a month or 100 a month.

Every vehicle gets the full service before they take delivery – batteries, fluids, filters, software – everything is done to give them total peace-of-mind motoring.

“That includes a spare wheel.Again, no other dealer does this and we know that the silly ‘panda style’ glue, repair kit doesn’t work the majority of the time, so why risk it?”

Along with business partner Shane Hobson and the staff, Down says they’ve all been flat out since the opening – not only answering enquiries but finding homes for EVs.

Offering a range of EVs, including about nine Generation 1 and 2 24kW Nissan Leafs from 2011 to 2016, an already sold BMW i3, a soon to arrive Hyundai Ioniq and two Generation 3 40kW Leafs from the United Kingdom, Hamilton Electric Vehicles finds the EVs are departing almost as quickly as they are arriving.

And if customers want to order a particular EV then they will source it for them.

Down says one customer with a Nissan e-NV200 van had a false floor put in with another 24kW battery to get 200km range.

“We’ve been struggling to keep up with housekeeping and demand almost before we opened the doors,” he says.

Even at the recent Waikato Show – Hamilton Electric Vehicles had a stand in the show’s 50-plus seniors’ section – it took an order for three EVs from one retirement village.

Hamilton Electric Vehicles is ideally placed to serve towns like Te Awamutu, Raglan, Otorohanga and Cambridge within a reasonable commute of the city.

And Down says the new showrooms are well suited to his plans to involve people with disabilities in the business for customer service and support.

“We have full facilities for them on site.”

Email sales@hamiltonev.co.nz or phone 0800 313 233 for more information.