This week, Stuff Motoring goes electric

Never before have more people been more interested in cars.

There’s something joyous about a thrumming five-cylinder engine, the low-pitched rumble of a V8, the unmistakable jagged heartbeat of a tuned rotary on idle. These cars will always have their adoring fans.

But, the advent of electric vehicles has pushed a huge percentage of the masses – those who perhaps have never given cars a shred of thought in their lives – right into the heart of this four-wheeled world.

What kind of range can you get from an EV? Are they cheap to run? Do their batteries last long? These are all questions that motoring journalists like myself are constantly getting bombarded with at social gatherings and whilst sitting at public EV charging stations. Often from people who didn’t give a gnat of care to cars just a few years ago.

In light of the curiosity around the fact and fiction of EVs, Stuff Motoring is set to go exclusively EV for the duration of the week.

Not only will we feature reviews and previews of some of the most exciting electric vehicles on the market, but we will also dive into some of the misinformation about plug-ins, and revisit some of our detailed explainers on this now mainstream technology.

READ MORE:
* Affordable electric car face-off: BYD Dolphin vs MG4 vs GWM Ora
* Chinese carmaker’s ambitious plan to become NZ’s leading EV brand
* Now is the time to buy an electric vehicle
* The questions owners of electric vehicles get asked

Stuff’s position on climate change is clear. In 2018, it confirmed that climate change reporting aiming to challenge collective complacency would become a priority. And in 2021, it joined numerous other media outlets around the world in signing a declaration to treat climate change as an emergency.

Electric cars are not a magic bullet solution to climate change. Indeed, EV adoption brings its own set of questions and challenges. But, few can deny that EVs and the need to burn less fossil fuels form a vital piece of the puzzle as the planet pushes to somehow meet extremely difficult global warming targets.

It’s little wonder that more and more New Zealanders are considering purchasing a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or dedicated electric vehicle as their next car. We aim for our readers to be amongst the most informed in the country on the topic.

So, what can you look forward to? Well, this week we kick things off with a comparison test between two of the most stylish EVs on the market – the Fiat 500e and Mini Cooper Electric. We also explain in detail the differences between hybrids, PHEVs, and EVs.

Reviews on the incredibly luxurious BMW i7 and Ford’s first fully electric performance car, the Mustang Mach-E GT, are also coming this week. We wade into the world of electric vans with the Mercedes-Benz EQV and Peugeot e-Partner.

This week, we also ask some of the big questions. When will EVs be the same price (or cheaper) than their petrol-fuelled counterparts? Is buying a used EV a good idea or not? What is it like to insure an EV? And when are those much touted electric utes coming?

On top of that, we will deliver the latest in local and overseas electric vehicle news and views. This commitment is one we work to every week. After all, there aren’t many V8 news updates being issued by the world’s carmakers these days.

Wonder why that is?