I take the little [Mitsubishi Minicab] MiEV truck on regular trips from Ravensbourne to Carisbrook School, north to Port Chalmers and Waitati or south to the Taieri. When I want to go much further afield, I swap vehicles with my son and take a 2011 Nissan Leaf.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT IT?
I like the manoeuvrability and silent zippiness of it - hearing my granddaughter above the engine noise. I like being able to cart a load of brushwood or compost, or throwing in a wheelbarrow, bicycle and garden tools. I certainly like not having any petrol and maintenance costs, and of course I like not burning any fossil fuel.
WHAT WOULD MAKE IT EASIER TO GET AROUND?
I do most of my charging at home using cheaper night-rate electricity, but it is a drag when people use the few rapid-charging spaces as ordinary car parks; and a rapid-charger installed somewhere between Waitati and Palmerston would open up the possibilities for EVs with lower battery capacity.
HOW DO WE GET THERE?
More variety in models of EVs - not just top-of-the-range Jaguars and Teslas but family or work-horse models. Better public transport, car-share schemes, walk and bike-friendly options ... Using the proposed feebate scheme, and providing low-interest finance to soften the initial capital outlay - using savings on fuel to cover repayment costs.
