Top 10 hottest EVs right now

Top 10 hottest Electric Vehicles in NZ right now!

Electric vehicles are on the rise in New Zealand, with almost every other car you see on the road being either fully electric or a hybrid. Here at Ecotricity we are all EV enthusiasts and supporters, our company cars are all electric and many of our staff own EVs or e-bikes. We believe they are the way of the future and want all our staff to be able to own one, which is why we provide an additional EV rebate on any EV or e-bike our team wish to purchase.

Compared to their fossil fuel counter-parts, EVs have a smaller lifecycle carbon footprint emitting up to 83% less CO2 than a combustion engine. Depending on the car and where it is made, the battery and manufacture of an EV may produce slightly more emissions than a petrol car, however there are no tailpipe emissions, and with the rise of renewable energy in NZ, EVs are electrifying our future.

We've looked at EV market data and as of September 2022, these are the most popular EVs in New Zealand (year to date).

1. Nissan Leaf

Unsurprisingly the Nissan Leaf is currently New Zealand's most popular fully electric vehicle and arguably the cheapest. As of September 2022, there were 17,588 in the country, both new and used, and 3,265 sold this year. The Nissan Leaf has gone through many generations, the first being registered in NZ in 2011 and purchased by our co-founder Mark Yates (image above).

Nissan Leaf 24 kWh (USED - 2011-2016)
Range: 115km
Battery: 24kWh
Price: $9K +

Nissan Leaf 30 kWh (USED - 2016-2017)
Range: 170km
Battery: 30kWh
Price: $19k +

Nissan Leaf Second Generation: 2018
Range: 270km
Battery: 40kWh
Price: $55,365 (Incl. clean car rebate CCR)

Nissan Leaf 62 kWh E+: 2019
Range: 385km
Battery: 62kWh
Price: $64,365 (Incl. CCR)

Click here to watch our Nissan Leaf review video.

2. Tesla Model 3

The Tesla Model 3 is New Zealand's second best-selling fully electric vehicle with 6,544 currently residing in the country, and 2,104 sold this year.

Tesla Model 3 – 2019
Range: 491km
Battery: 60kWh
Price: $68,318 (Incl. CCR)

Tesla Model 3 LR – 2019
Range: 602km
Battery: 82 kWh
Price: $84,618 (Incl. CCR)

Tesla Model 3 Performance – 2019
Range: 547 km
Battery: 82 kWh
Price: $97,318 (Incl. CCR)

Check out our Tesla Model 3 review video here or here.

3. Tesla Model Y

The all-electric compact SUV Tesla Model Y was first available this year (2022), with currently 2,093 in the country. We only have two of the three different versions available.

Tesla Model Y:
Range: 455km
Battery: 60kWh
Price: $69,618 (Incl. CCR)

Tesla Model Y Performance:
Range: 514km
Battery: 82.8kWh
Price: $102,318 (Incl. CCR)

Check out our Tesla Model Y review video here.

4. BYD Atto 3

A super recent release in NZ is the BYD Atto 3, with 689 cars in the country (September 2022). The subcompact crossover Atto 3 is the first EV from the Chinese brand to be released into NZ and Australia. Called the Yuan Plus in its home territory, it is powered by a proprietary BYD Blade battery (LFP). Two versions have been released:

BYD Atto 3:
Range: 345km
Battery: 50kWh
Price: $46,865 (Incl. CCR)

BYD Atto 3 LR:
Range: 420km
Battery: 60.5kWh
Price: $51,365 (Incl. CCR)

Check out our BYD Atto 3 review video here.

5. Kia EV6

The EV6 is the first vehicle from Kia based on a completely new electric platform, first arriving in NZ this year (2022) with already 659 owned.

Kia EV6 Air LR:
Range: 528km
Battery: 77.4kWh
Price: $70,365 (Incl. CCR)

Kia EV6 Air Standard Range:
Range: 394km
Battery: 58kWh
Price: $67,365 (Incl. CCR)

Kia EV6 Earth:
Range: 506km
Battery: 77.4kWh
Price: $99,990

Check out our Kia EV6 review video here.

6. Hyundai Kona

The Hyundai Kona is a subcompact SUV and is the sixth best-selling EV in NZ, currently 2,174 are living in the country, and 611 sold in NZ this year. The Kona Electric became available in NZ in 2018, with two variations - the smaller range (39 kWh), and a longer range (64 kWh).

Hyundai Kona 39 kWh:
Range: 305km
Battery: 39 kWh
Price: $61,365 (Incl. CCR)

Hyundai Kona 64kWh:
Range: 484km
Battery: 64 kWh
Price: $71,365 (Incl. CCR).

Check out our Hyundai Kona EV review video here.

7. Polestar 2

Coming in at seventh place is the Polestar 2, a five-door fastback sedan produced by Volvo (a completely carbon neutral brand), released late last year, with already 655 in the country, 609 sold this year.

Polestar 2 LR:
Range: 551km
Battery: 78kWh
Price: $86,900

Polestar 2 LR Dual:
Range: 487km
Battery: 78kWh
Price: $104,900

Polestar 2 Standard Range:
Range: 478km
Battery: 69kWh
Price: $68,275 (Incl. CCR)

Check out our Polestar 2 view review here.

8. MG ZS EV

Coming up in eighth place for New Zealand's best-selling fully electric vehicle is the MG ZS EV. There are currently 1,434 in the country, 441 sold this year, and just two generations.

MG ZS EV (1^st gen) 2019:
Range: 263km
Battery: 44.5kWh
Price: $42k

MG ZS EV 2022:
Range: 320km
Battery: 51kWh
Price: $41,365 (Incl. CCR)

Check out our MG SV EV review video here.

9. Hyundai IONIQ 5

Coming up in ninth place is the Hyundai IONIQ 5, a new generation of EVs from Hyundai and voted NZ car of the year last year. This model is offered in a number of combinations, letting the customer choose their poison. There were 367 sold this year (2022), and 602 since they were released in 2021.

Hyundai IONIQ 5: 2021
Range: 384km
Battery: 58kWh
Price: $71,365 (Incl. CCR)

Hyundai IONIQ 5 LR AWD: 2021
Range: 460km
Battery: 72.6kWh
Price: $94,990

Hyundai IONIQ 5 LR RWD: 2021
Range: 481km
Battery: 72.6kWh
Price: $89,990

Check out our IONIQ 5 review video here.

10. Hyundai IONIQ

With 1,111 cars residing in NZ, and 243 sold this year, the Hyundai IONIQ is the 10th best-selling electric vehicle in NZ this year. The Hyundai IONIQ first arrived in NZ in late 2016 and has been a popular choice for fleet vehicles.

Hyundai IONIQ (1^st gen): 2017-2019
Range: 200 km
Battery: 28 kWh
Price: $35k +

Hyundai IONIQ Series II: 2019
Range: 311 km
Battery: 38.3 kWh
Price: $57,365 (Incl. CCR)

It can be a costly decision to buy an EV, but once you purchase your new EV you will quickly realise how much cheaper it is to run. Check out our EV calculator here to see how much you could save. We have some great price plans for those with EVs, and you can charge your car overnight on cheaper power! Our carbonzero electricity also provides a wraparound green solution so you can lead the pack in transitioning into a carbon neutral lifestyle. We are backing you every step of the way!

To learn more about all the current EVs on the NZ market and their specs, check out our EV Buyers Guide here.

Data from https://evdb.nz/most-popular-evs-nz