EVs top Consumer NZ car survey

BYD, Tesla and Honda are among people’s choice winners in a Consumer NZ survey of 8527 Kiwi drivers.

The Nissan Leaf is the most popular EV, in spite of some concerns about range and battery life, with drivers among the most satisfied with it.

About 72 cars were considered in the survey of around 20 brands with EV and hybrid owners the most satisfied.

More EV education is needed to dispel some myths and concerns, especially around EV batteries, Consumer NZ product manager James le Page told TVNZ1.

He says on 1News that  brands such as Ford, Volkswagen, Holden, Chrysler Jeep, SsangYong, Mitsubishi and Mercedes-Benz all scored “poorly” for reliability and owner satisfaction,

Le Page adds that non-EV drivers are generally reluctant to embrace an EV but once they do they find it hard to return to an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle.

The full survey report is on the Consumer NZ website, available to members and those with a special pass.