Wondering if it’s time to swap your petrol or diesel ride for an electric vehicle? Happens all the time — folks pop in for a car service here at Grimmer Motors on Te Rapa Road, or even while we’re sorting a WOF, and want a proper yarn about what electric cars are really like around Hamilton. Let’s get stuck in and give you the lowdown from a local’s point of view, not just some fancy sales pitch.
Electric Cars: Cheaper to Run in the Tron 
Most people are blown away by how cheap it is to run something like a Nissan Leaf or MG ZS EV compared to your average petrol hatchback. You can just plug your car in at home, often while you’re crashed in front of the telly at night. That’s when the off-peak power rates kick in and your fuel bill drops way down. According to Energywise.govt.nz, it’s about the same as paying thirty cents a litre for fuel — pretty hard to beat that when unleaded is over $2.80 on Avalon Drive or in Morrinsville!
Electric motors have bugger-all moving parts compared to something like a Honda CR-V petrol engine. Less moving bits means less to go wrong, so maintenance is sweet. Even the common hybrids we see, like Toyota Prius or a Hyundai Ioniq, only need the usual servicing, and when you’re running them on battery power around Te Awamutu or Rototuna, you’re hardly using any petrol. Hybrids can still save a few bob round town, especially in all that stop-start traffic on Peachgrove Road.
Good for the Environment (and the Waikato Air) 
EVs are tidy for the environment too. Over the years, we’ve seen more folks from Cambridge or Gordonton looking for ways to cut their emissions, especially with all the foggy winter starts and hot summers we get here. According to the folks at the EECA, electric vehicles in NZ spit out about 80% less CO2 than petrol cars, mainly ’cause our power is mostly hydro, wind and geothermal. If you dive deeper, they say battery EVs pump out 60% fewer climate-change emissions overall compared to petrol cars. And that’s factoring in the whole shebang — battery making, shipping, you name it. You can have a squiz at the details if you want, the full lifecycle report is here.
Other Perks: Quiet, Grunty, Surprisingly Fun
It’s not all about the wallet or the planet, either. Electric cars are super quiet — we had someone from Raglan in with an Audi e-tron, and she reckoned it was the smoothest drive over the speed bumps in Nawton. Plus, most EVs have awesome torque straight off the line, even the smaller ones like a BYD Atto 3 or the old Renault Zoe. You’ll zip around those annoying roundabouts on Wairere Drive or over the potholes near Frankton Market with no problems. The batteries sit low, so the handling is actually better than you’d expect. Less body roll, really hugs the road.
We do see that upfront price trips people up sometimes — yeah, new EVs can cost a bit more than say, a Suzuki Swift or Mazda 3. But with way less spent on fuel and maintenance, you catch up pretty quick. Plus, the government’s been talking about sweetening the pot for buyers.
Thinking About Going Electric? We Can Help
Here at Grimmer Motors, we’re Hamilton’s go-to for electric and hybrid repair. We’re even importing EVs ourselves now, and our techs are tuned up on all the tricks for hybrids and full EVs. We’ve got custom scan tools too, so we can run full battery and systems checks you won’t get just anywhere. Might be fixing up a Tesla Model 3 for a bloke in Chartwell one day, then checking out a Lexus hybrid for a couple from Tamahere the next. If you ever want advice — or just want to kick some tyres — swing by for a yarn.
For anything EV or hybrid, from repairs to honest advice, just give us a call, or…