Driving change and EV buying

Good on the Listener for taking on that scourge of our towns and cities, the SUV, to which I would add the twin-cab ute (Editorial, May 29). I think we accept that heavy-duty vehicles are a necessary part of some rural communities, but they are grossly over-spec’d for urban living, where most are to be found. When I see them driving around town, I feel the owner is effectively saying, “I do not care and I will do what I like.” As the Editorial pointed out, SUVs often cost a lot more than EVs.

I get tired of penny-pinching calculations to see if running an EV will be cheaper. The issue is not what it costs you if you buy one, but what it costs the planet if you don’t. When I bought my first EV five years ago, I said that if I can afford one, I am morally obliged to buy one, whatever the cost. I did no cost comparisons.

At that time, EVs were more expensive and this country did not have a functioning charger network, so I had to buy a car with an auxiliary petrol generator for long journeys. Now we have chargers, thanks to ChargeNet NZ, and EV purchase/running costs are on a par before any future incentives. I am now replacing my first EV with a fully battery-powered one.