Gavin Shoebridge joins Auto Media Group as Group EV Editor

Gavin Shoebridge, known to many New Zealand electric vehicle (EV) enthusiasts through his KiwiEV Adventures series and his work at Ecotricity, has joined Auto Media Group as Group EV Editor.

Shoebridge takes on the primary host role for the EVs and Beyond YouTube channel and will lead EV content across the group’s magazine and online platforms.

“We could not be happier to have Gavin on board,” says managing editor Richard Edwards. “He has built a genuine following and really understands the EV audience. Having him front our video content is a big step for where we are heading.”

Shoebridge brings more than a decade of experience in the EV sector, from converting petrol vehicles to electric power in his early KiwiEV days through to becoming one of New Zealand’s most recognised clean-technology reviewers. In an editorial capacity, he will cover a broader range of electrified vehicles, including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and range-extended electric vehicles (REEVs).

First video: pushing the BYD Atto 1 to its limit

Shoebridge’s first video for the channel is now live, and it takes a different approach to the standard review format. He spent a full day driving laps of Auckland in a bid to drain the BYD Atto 1 Essential — BYD’s most affordable model in New Zealand — all the way to zero.

“I wasn’t going to start a new job without the Potato,” says Shoebridge. “The potato-based measurement system is staying, the kilowatt-hours can come along too, and for my first trick I tried to flatten an Atto 1 to zero around Auckland. It put up more of a fight than I bargained for.”

About the BYD Atto 1

The Atto 1 is BYD’s smallest and most affordable model in the New Zealand market, arriving late last year. The Essential variant that Shoebridge tested opens the range at $29,990 plus on-road costs, pairing a 30kWh Blade battery with a 220km WLTP range and 65kW DC fast charging.

The Premium variant steps up to a 43.2kWh battery, 310km of WLTP range, and 85kW DC charging, priced at $35,990 plus on-road costs. Both variants carry a five-star ANCAP safety rating, and the Atto 1 was named one of Time magazine’s Best Inventions of 2025.

Just how far the Essential travels on a single charge — and how many potatoes that translates to — is revealed in the video.

The EV Guys podcast, co-hosted by Shoebridge and Edwards, is also set to return shortly. Edwards will continue to appear in occasional videos, and the pair will host together from time to time.

Watch Gavin’s BYD Atto 1 range test now on the EVs and Beyond YouTube channel.