Goodbye Petrol

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How long will this latest war last? How long will the Strait of Hormuz be effectively closed? How high will fuel prices rise before we see an end to this situation? We just don’t know. So while looking at switching to an EV right now might seem extreme to some, to others it’ll be a sensible choice given the uncertainty. And for those on a moderate budget there are good choices, like the 2^nd generation Nissan Leaf. Read on...

New EV prices have started to come down, but are still expensive if you’ve always been a used car owner. Sure, there are Chinese cars like the Dongfeng Box at under $30k, but a bit of an unknown to most, and still more than many can afford. However, there is one tried and tested EV that can be bought for a similar price as its fossil fuel powered counterparts on the used market, and that’s the Nissan Leaf. We’ve all seen the 1^st gen leaf with it’s vanishing range due to a degrading battery, but the 2^nd gen Leaf is an improved car that has sold in huge quantities around the world and has a very good reliability reputation.

A 5-6 year old Leaf can be bought for under $15k with strong battery life and all the features that you’d expect in a modern car, and more. And the Leaf was developed by a traditional car maker rather than tech company, and has had proper car development. A 40kwh Leaf will give you a range of around 250kms. That’s more than enough for most commuters and will require about one charge a week at most. For longer trips some planning ahead will be required, but it’s perfectly doable.

The leaf, like the one featured in the photos, comes with adaptive cruise control, heated seats and steering wheel, proximity cameras and much more. The one featured here is from 2020 and is NZ new with 89500kms on the clock. The auction estimate is $11,000 - $13,000 which is Suzuki Swift money.

Charge at night when the rates are lowest and reap the rewards of a petrol/diesel free future. This car is being auctioned at Turners Otahuhu. More details here.