Every new EV under $80k for 2023 (so far)

You might have seen us talking about electric and low-emission vehicles coming in around the $80,000 mark and making a bit of noise about those that slot in beneath it. But why?

Vehicles below that price are eligible for the Clean Car Discount, which currently operates on a sliding scale based on emissions. That means hybrids and clean-burning combustion cars may claw back some money on the first registration, and electric vehicles get the full $8625 rebate, so we’ve grouped every EV that fits the bill.

We’ve also seen plenty of comments asking why we call those vehicles ‘affordable’. That’s relative, considering where prices were just a few years ago and that the most popular vehicle in New Zealand is the Ford Ranger, which routinely costs above $50,000. In fact, Ford sold more Ranger Wildtraks with the 3.0-litre V6 than any other Ranger in January, an $82k ute.

Affordability with EVs is a slow process. Experts previously said that price parity with combustion would happen around the 2025 mark, but have now pushed that back owing to various global issues unforeseen a few years ago. At the moment, we have a few EVs nudging below $50,000 before any rebates, which is fantastic, and there will be more later in the year when the likes of MG and BYD introduce new models. Perhaps then we’ll see a sub-$40k native price, which will make EVs truly affordable.

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BYD Seal and Dolphin

BYD is gearing up to introduce two new models this year, the Seal and the Dolphin. The Seal will be a four-door sedan while the Dolphin is a smaller hatchback. They are yet to be detailed and priced in full but rumour has it the Dolphin will be markedly cheaper than anything else on the market, potentially asking less than $40,000.

• Starting price: TBC.
• Powertrain: TBC.
• Claimed range: TBC.

MG ZS EV

The MG ZS EV was the first properly affordable EV on the market when it launched here a year or two ago. Now it’s been facelifted to match the rest of the ZS range and given a bit more range to make it even more enticing, without bumping its price.

• Starting price: $49,990.
• Powertrain: 51kWh battery, single electric motor, 130kW/353Nm, FWD.
• Claimed range: 320km.

GWM Ora

Formerly the Ora Good Cat, the GWM Ora has just landed on New Zealand shores. It’s a small hatchback, rather than an SUV, offered with two different battery sizes. While the base price matches the MG ZS EV, the Ora still requires on-roads on top, which makes it the second-cheapest EV on the market when taking those into account.

• Starting price: $49,990.
• Powertrain: 48kWh or 63kWh battery, single electric motor, 126kW/250Nm, FWD.
• Claimed range: 310km to 420km.

BYD Atto 3

BYD really hit the ground running in New Zealand last year, with its Atto 3 SUV pulling big sales and the NZ Motoring Writers’ Guild Car of the Year award last month. The Atto 3 packs proprietary battery tech that is apparently the safest in the world, a rotating centre screen and an interior that is meant to resemble youth and fitness.

• Starting price: $58,990.
• Powertrain: 42kWh battery, single electric motor, 87kW/220Nm, FWD.
• Claimed range: 320km to 420km.

Fiat 500e

Fiat is set to introduce the all-electric 500e later this year, which represents the first step of electrification for the brand. A faster Abarth 500e will also land as one of the first fully electric performance hatches. It’ll be interesting to see how the Italian fares in a competitive market, as it has a fairly high asking price for what it offers.

• Starting price: $59,990 (Abarth TBC).
• Powertrain: 48kWh or 63kWh battery, single electric motor, 126kW/250Nm, FWD.
• Claimed range: 310km.

Opel Corsa-e and Opel Mokka-e

Opel launched in New Zealand late last year with two electric models, the Corsa-e and Mokka-e. The electric Corsa is based on Peugeot’s e-208, which means a front-mounted motor generating 100kW and 260Nm with a 50kWh battery, while the Mokka-e is essentially a reskin of the Peugeot e-2008 with the same powertrain.

• Starting price: $59,990 and $69,990.
• Powertrain: 50kWh battery, single electric motor, 100kW/260Nm, FWD.
• Claimed range: 383km (Corsa-e) and 363km (Mokka-e)

Nissan Leaf

The iconic Nissan Leaf soldiers on for 2023, available in two battery sizes. Rumour has it, Nissan is looking at replacing the model with a brand new small SUV (as is the way these days), but for now the electric hatchback remains.

• Starting price: $63,990.
• Powertrain: 39kWh or 59kWh battery, single electric motor, 110kW/320Nm or 160kW/340Nm, FWD.
• Claimed range: 270km to 385km.

Peugeot e-208 and e-2008

Like the Corsa-e and Mokka-e, the Peugeot electric siblings resemble a hatchback and a small SUV. And, like the Corsa-e and Mokka-e, they both use the same powertrains, but the French versions are a tad more expensive with less range, weirdly. Probably down to aerodynamics.

• Starting price: $64,990 and $73,990.
• Powertrain: 50kWh battery, single electric motor, 100kW/260Nm, FWD.
• Claimed range: 349km (e-208) and 332km (e-2008).

Hyundai Ioniq Electric hatchback

Hyundai still sells the original Ioniq, the hatchback available in hybrid, PHEV and electric variants. It’ll probably be discontinued soon, considering it isn’t part of the new Ioniq family (confusing, sorry) populated by the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, so get one while you can.

• Starting price: $65,990
• Powertrain: 38kWh battery, single electric motor, 100kW/295Nm, FWD.
• Claimed range: 311km.

Mazda MX-30

Mazda’s first electric model, the MX-30, is a funky little thing with freestyle doors, a cork-imbued interior, and one of the smallest batteries on the market. That’s by design, with Mazda saying that a smaller battery has less of an environmental impact and that this sort of vehicle doesn’t need a massive range.

• Starting price: $68,590
• Powertrain: 36kWh battery, single electric motor, 107kW/271Nm, FWD.
• Claimed range: 200km.

Tesla Model 3 and Model Y

Tesla has cut prices for its extremely popular models a couple of times already this year in response to the changing market. That means the Model 3 is as cheap as it’s ever been, while the Model Y continues to sell in huge numbers.

• Starting price: $68,900 (Model 3) or $73,900 (Model Y)
• Powertrain: 50kWh or 75kWh battery, single or dual motors, 150kW/350Nm, 258kW/527Nm or 336kW/639Nm RWD or AWD (Model 3) or 60kWh or 75kWh, 220kW/420Nm or 336kW/639Nm (Model Y)
• Claimed range: 491-602km (Model 3) or 455km to 514km (Model Y).

Kia Niro EV

Another longstanding badge in the world of EVs, the recently refreshed Kia Niro EV is still hanging around in 2023. It’s much more of a conventional SUV than the EV6 (well, modern conventional, don’t start on how SUVs aren’t what they used to be), and still offers some good stats in the face of the competition.

• Starting price: $68,990
• Powertrain: 64kWh battery, single motor, 150kW/255Nm, FWD.
• Claimed range: 460km.

Hyundai Kona Electric II

The Kona Electric is Hyundai’s version of the electric Niro. You might be spotting a trend here. The SUV got a refresh in 2021, with a more aerodynamic front end, enclosed grille, more digitised dash, and better safety gubbins.

• Starting price: $69,990
• Powertrain:39kWh or 64kWh battery, single motor, FWD or AWD.
• Claimed range: 478km to 551km.

Mini Electric

Mini’s first – and so far only – EV landed back in 2021, in three-door trim. Which, really, is the one you want. It’s a city car, which means a small battery and modest range, but it’s still a great drive, provided you’re not far from a charger.

• Starting price: $70,155
• Powertrain: 33kWh battery, single motor, 100kW/295Nm, FWD.
• Claimed range: 233km.

Polestar 2

Polestar used to be Volvo’s performance arm but got spun off into its own brand a few years ago. You can see the Swedish links in its first car to arrive in New Zealand, the Model 3-targeting Polestar 2. With Tesla’s recent price cuts, the Polestar 2 is a bit more expensive now, but it’s still right in the fight.

• Starting price: $76,900
• Powertrain: 69kWh or 88kWh battery, single or dual electric motors, 170kW/330Nm or 300kW/660Nm (350kW with Performance pack), FWD or AWD.
• Claimed range: 478km to 551km.

Kia EV6

Sharing its bones with the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the Kia EV6 is the first dedicated electric vehicle for the brand (the Niro is also available as a combustion-based hybrid and a plug-in hybrid). It offers decent range and tech for the single sub-$80k model available. You can go bigger and better, like the Stinger GT-replacing $140k EV6 GT, but you won’t get a rebate.

• Starting price: $76,990
• Powertrain: 58kWh or 77kWh battery, single or dual motors, 124kW/350Nm or 239kW/605Nm or 430kW/740Nm, FWD or AWD.
• Claimed range: 394km to 528km.

Hyundai Ioniq 5

Speaking of which, the Ioniq 5 is Hyundai’s boxy SUV to Kia’s swoopy wagon. It was the first of the brand’s new wave of BEVs, to be joined soon by the Ioniq 6 and a sporty Ioniq 5 N model. Hyundai has one model under $80,000, with everything else firmly in the Clean Car zero band.

• Starting price: $79,990
• Powertrain: 58kWh or 77kWh battery, single or dual motors, 125kW/350Nm or 160kW/350Nm or 225kW/605Nm, FWD or AWD.
• Claimed range: 384km to 481km.

Ford Mustang Mach-E

Due in the next few months, Ford’s Mustang Mach-E is probably the most interesting EV coming up this year that we know of. The cheapest model will be a $79,990 rear-drive thing, while the range-topping GT will also arrive for those seeking maximum performance.

• Starting price: $79,990
• Powertrain: 76kWh or 99kWh battery, single or dual motors, 198kW/430Nm or 258kW/560Nm or 358kW/860Nm, RWD or AWD.
• Claimed range: 440km to 550km

Hyundai Ioniq 6

The second new Ioniq model will be the Ioniq 6 Streamliner, boasting some seriously impressive aerodynamics and range figures. One model slips under the $80k mark, like the Ioniq 5, but it still manages more than 400km of claimed range. Going up to the $94k model with the larger 77kWh battery means range breaks the 600km mark,

• Starting price: $79,990
• Powertrain: 58kWh or 77kWh battery, single or dual motors, 111kW/350Nm or 168kW/350Nm or 239kW/605Nm, RWD or AWD.
• Claimed range: 429km to 614km

Lexus UX 300e

Lexus’ first EV is the UX 300e, which is basically an electric conversion of the UX 250h hybrid. It has a few tweaks compared to the hybrids, like retuned suspension, more sound deadening, and a pokier powertrain.

• Starting price: $79,990
• Powertrain: 54kWh battery, single motor, 150kW/300Nm, FWD.
• Claimed range: 315km

LDV Mifa 9

If you want an electric van, you’re pretty hamstrung. The LDV Mifa 9 is the only choice, a 5.2-metre long seven-seater with a healthy 90kWh battery, 180kW of power and 430km of range. Pushing the price up means you get extra luxury bits too, in exchange for the rebate.

• Starting price: $79,990
• Powertrain: 90kWh battery, single motor, 180kW/350Nm, FWD.
• Claimed range: 430km

LDV eT60

The only electric ute on the market also comes from LDV with the eT60. It snicks under the rebate limit too, with the only model available with an 88.5kWh battery and a 130kW/310Nm rear-mounted electric motor. LDV says it will drive 325km between charges and tow a maximum of 1500kg, although the range figure drops with a full load.

• Starting price: $79,990
• Powertrain: 88.5kWh battery, single motor, 130kW/310Nm, RWD.
• Claimed range: 325km

Volkswagen ID.4

The Volkswagen ID. 4 is Volkswagen’s long-awaited entry into the BEV market, with one version eligible for the rebate. It will arrive midway through 2023 with plenty of range, decent power, and decent standard kit.

• Starting price: $79,990
• Powertrain: 77kWh battery, single motor, 150kW/310Nm, FWD.
• Claimed range: 485km