Alan L wrote: This all sounds like the 60s (Muldoon era). You could not buya new car without a portion (if not all) the purchase price in o/seas funds. It was Muldoon's way of getting money back in to the country. Consequently there were waiting lists for near new used cars from the same dealerships. And you paid more than new price for one if you were lucky enough to be on the list. Multiple successive vehicle purchases got you on the list. My dad seemed to have some funds in Aus, so would buy a new Holden every 2-3 yrs and sell the old one for what he paid for it. Nuts. Back to the future. progress? Alan

Yep I well remember those days but pretty sure that policy was  instigated before the muldoon era & unless you were a doctor, farmer or taxi owner then as you say had to have overseas funds in order to buy a new vehicle.

Yes - yet another subsidy.

Carless days, I was just a kid then. My parents just brought 2 extra secondhand cars and had them registared for the alternating days.Still meant they could drive everyday (we were rural) and as they would not have been alone, this probably helped push up the price of the second hand car market too. Often the more rules that are applied the worse the situation becomes. Well done to Bazza for even being in a position where he can make a choice.

Yep - remember peak oil? Decades ago , and it was all downhill from there. Going to run out in the next few decades.

no doubt nz will follow

Absolutely correct PM but the question is what will happen to the plug in hybrids that only pay fuel excise on the petrol they use. It is possible (but not likely) that a plug in hybrid could run forever without starting its ice. On the other hand phevs would be paying twice when running on petrol/diesel.

To put the rucs into perspective my ev has now done 5000km and used around 850kW of electricity - about $200. RUCs on top of this at 7.6c would add another $380 meaning a cost per km of 11.6c.

A petrol car using 8l/100km would use 400l over 5000km which at $2.80/l equals $1400 or 28c/km. If petrol comes back to $2.00/l the cost would be 20c/km.

A diesel vehicle using 8l/100km would also use 400l which at $2.50 equals $1000 plus $380 ruc, almost exactly the same total cost as the petrol at 28c/km

After taking into account maintenance costs for the ev compared to the icev the case is still compelling.

I’m picking that as more evs come to market the change will accelerate. The Mach E mustang that arrives next year is a good example as well as Tesla model y, polestar 3 etc. the first manufacturer who brings a decent affordable ev ute to nz will really clean up.

I share the concern with respect to the load all these evs will place on power generation but expect a combination of wind and solar is the answer to this - I expect in the not to distant future solar will be standard or even a requirement for new builds.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/129623743/first-drive-review-byd-atto-3

[QUOTE=smudge] Just a guess but it probably uses no more than a conventional car to make and will use a whole heap less petroleum products in its lifetime
[/QUOTE environmental damage caused by mining of lithium seems worst than oil extraction. Lithium mining is in poorer countries out is sight out of media sight.