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EV dealerships hope to return to business quickly after the COVID-19 lockdown with a backlog of stock to clear.
That’s just as well as Japan is in a state of emergency until May 6, so not many used EVs like the popular Nissan Leaf are expected from there in that time.
Business here came to an abrupt halt with the lockdown applying from March 25, with any spare space grabbed to store cars.
However, EV demand is expected to pick up as people have weighed up environmental and climate change issues during the lockdown. Surveys show many more likely to make the switch to EVs as a result.
Many EV dealerships took advantage of government wage subsidies and the like to retain staff, so they’re ready to meet the demand.
One survey suggests people won’t be spending on big ticket items like vehicles immediately after the pandemic restrictions, but those selling used EVs are expected to benefit.
Electric mobility in all its forms was a hot topic at EVtalk’s successful inaugural EVs and Beyond conference held just before the COVID-19 restrictions kicked in. You can read more about that in this issue.
Keeping your EV happy in storage during the lockdown brought a response from battery experts, the general feeling being your EV should easily survive without any problems provided certain guidelines are followed.
We check out coming EV attractions from Polestar and Hyundai, and feature the newly arrived MG Roewe Marvel X.
Plus we review the Volvo XC6O plug-in hybrid and Hyundai Ioniq PHEV.
EV and PHEV sales were looking good for March until the pandemic restrictions took effect. April sales results are expected to be practically zero – meaning ground has to be made up to reach this year’s 32,000 target to have 64,000 EVs on our roads by the end of 2021.
Digital and contactless is the way forward.
That’s certainly how ITS NZ looks at it, also checking out what’s happening with EVs and associated tech globally.
We continue our popular Women in EVs feature and weigh up a host of other EV related topics, including new offerings from OEM Audio.
You can view the latest statistics, comment, our monthly highlights and much more.
So make the most of your remaining lockdown time and enjoy the read.
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