Electric vehicles - frequently asked questions
Are electric vehicles environmentally friendly?
What are the advantages of electric vehicles?
What are the disadvantages of electric vehicles?
Do I have to pay road user charges for an electric vehicle?
What registration categories do electric vehicles fit within?
Can electric vehicle batteries be recycled?
How can electric vehicles be charged?
What happens if the battery runs out?
Will households need smart meters for electric vehicles?
Why electric vehicles? What about other technologies?
Won't New Zealand need to upgrade the electricity grid for electric vehicles?
What funding is available for electric vehicle research?
What is an electric car?
Internationally the common terms for electric vehicles are battery electric vehicles (BEVs), which operate only on batteries and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), which are vehicles that operate on a combination of batteries and other fuels. In New Zealand the Road User Charges Act 1977 defines electric vehicles as those "whose motive power [the power that enables something to move] is wholly or partly derived from an external source of electricity". The definition excludes traditional hybrid vehicles whose source of electricity is solely internal, from storing energy from using brakes or coasting down hills.
Are electric vehicles safe?
All vehicles registered for use on New Zealand roads must meet the same minimum safety standards, regardless of what fuel they are powered by. As with all vehicle purchases, we recommend that you consider the vehicle's safety rating. You can learn more about safety ratings at: www.rightcar.govt.nz
Are electric vehicles environmentally friendly?
Yes. One of the advantages of electric vehicles is the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that result from their use compared to traditional petroleum fuelled vehicles. The typical efficiency of an electric motor and drive system is superior to a traditional internal combustion engine. Electric motors convert 60 - 80% of their input energy to useable output, compared to between 20 - 30% for traditional engines.
The carbon emissions created overall will depend on where the electricity to recharge the vehicles comes from. (See: ‘Where will the electricity for the electric vehicles come from?' below.)
Where and when can I get one?
Mass produced electric vehicles are not available for sale yet. However, some manufacturers have begun leasing and selling electric vehicles to organisations in other countries. There are already about 25 electric vehicles in New Zealand that have either been built from scratch or created by converting a conventional vehicle to electric.
What are the advantages of electric vehicles?
Electric vehicles have many advantages over vehicles using the traditional combustion engine running on petrol or diesel:
- They are more efficient and therefore more economical to run.
- Their environmental impact is smaller as they produce fewer greenhouse gases, and no tail pipe particulate emissions that cause air pollution.
- Using electric vehicles will also mean that we don't have to rely so much on foreign imports of oil, the price of which is influenced by international markets and other factors beyond our immediate control as a nation.
- And finally, electric vehicles are quieter than petrol or diesel cars, which contributes to a more pleasant environment.
What are the disadvantages of electric vehicles?
Because they are a new technology, electric vehicles cost more to buy than the equivalent conventional car, though this is expected to come down over time, and is off-set in part by the lower running costs.
Electric vehicles typically do not travel as far on a full charge as conventional vehicles travel on a full tank. This is expected to improve as battery technology improves.
The quietness of electric vehicles, while peaceful, is something that other road user and pedestrians will have to bear in mind. It will be important to remember to look before crossing roads rather than relying solely on sound.
Do I have to pay road user charges for an electric vehicle? Will it apply to conversions? Heavy vehicles?
Owners of light electric vehicles will not have to pay road user charges until 2013. This applies to motor vehicles whose motive power is wholly or partly derived from an external source of electricity and whose gross laden weight is 3.5 tonnes or less. The exemption applies to vehicles already in our fleet, whether they are mass produced or built as one-off or a few items.
From 1 October 2009 road user charges for a light passenger vehicles range between $39.68 and $43.84 per 100km depending on the weight of the light vehicle.
What registration categories do electric vehicles fit within?
As battery technology continues to improve, many different kinds of electric vehicles are beginning to be manufactured. As a result, some of these electric vehicles fall outside our existing classification structure. Please check the New Zealand Transport Agency website for more information on importing an electric vehicle, www.nzta.govt.nz
Can electric vehicle batteries be recycled?
The battery is currently the most expensive component of an electric vehicle. Although a battery's capability may diminish over time, it will still hold a residual value at the end of its useful automotive life. It is likely that old vehicle batteries will be reused in a number of other applications requiring stationary energy storage.
Battery technology is continually advancing, with batteries made from a wide variety of components. However, the metals within these batteries generally have an economic value, and will continue to be recovered at the end of their useful life. Component recovery is a critical success factor for all advanced battery chemistries nearing mass production.
How can electric vehicles be charged?
There are a variety of options, some still in development and some available now, that will enable electric vehicles to be charged. The most common way and the method that is likely to be used in New Zealand in the near future is simply to plug the electric vehicle into a specific household or business place electricity outlet. This will enable most electric vehicles to be charged within 6 to 8 hours.
Some electric vehicles have a "fast charge" ability. When these vehicles are connected to a special fast charge station they can be charged to 80% of battery capacity in 30 minutes.
There are also other technologies being investigated such as "battery exchange" programmes and special electrical coils being placed in a section of the road and the electrical energy being transmitted to the vehicles batteries electromagnetically through "induction charging".
As the technology for electric vehicles is moving rapidly, it is expected that new and more innovative methods for charging the electric vehicles will be developed in the future.
What happens if the battery runs out?
Drivers of conventional vehicles rarely ever run completely out of fuel. In practice, drivers monitor how much fuel they use and plan journeys accordingly. Drivers of electric vehicles will need to do the same, planning journeys around remaining charge, and location of available charging points. In the event a battery is run flat, electric vehicles have the same roadside assistance options available to conventional vehicles.
Where will the electricity for the electric vehicles come from?
Ideally the electricity required should come from renewable sources (such as hydro, geothermal and wind), so as to minimise the production of greenhouse gases. New Zealand already has well-developed and abundant renewable electricity resources, which means that we are very well placed to use those resources for electric vehicles. If electric vehicles are charged overnight, when demand for electricity is relatively low, the use of renewable energy sources will increase.
New Zealand currently generates between 65 - 70% of its electricity from renewable sources and the government has set a goal of reaching 90% by 2025. This is also likely to be the time that electric vehicles become commonplace in New Zealand.
Electric vehicles are an ideal match for New Zealand's electricity system and can help meet this 90% renewable electricity target more easily. Some renewable energy sources are intermittent - for example wind generation, which rises and falls as the wind picks up and dies down. Sometimes wind farms generate in the night when there is little demand for electricity. Electric vehicles charging overnight can use this wind energy and store it in their batteries. By making better use of the output of wind farms, electric vehicles can help reduce the overall cost of electricity generation.
Will households need smart meters for electric vehicles?
While households will not need smart meters to enable electric vehicles to be charged, they are strongly recommended. Smart meters will make it easier for electricity retailers to offer time-varying tariffs. With this type of tariff the electricity price will be high during peak periods and low during off-peak times. Time-varying tariffs will allow consumers to take advantage of low priced off-peak periods (such as overnight) to charge their electric vehicles.
Encouraging consumers to charge their electric vehicles during off-peak times will make better use of use electricity system by avoiding peak periods when demand is high and plant and equipment are stretched to full capacity. It will also allow us to make the best use of our renewable energy resources as renewable electricity is generally plentiful during off-peak periods.
Won't New Zealand need to upgrade the electricity grid for electric vehicles?
The grid is designed to meet maximum electricity demands. If vehicles are recharged at times of low demand when electricity is cheapest, this makes use of spare capacity in the grid at these off-peak times.
According to a Centre for Advanced Engineering report commissioned by Transpower, in a high uptake electric vehicle scenario which sees over 390,000 electric vehicles on New Zealand roads by 2025, a maximum of only 180 MW of additional generation capacity would be needed - that's the size of two West Wind wind farms.
Smart meters can help ensure charging mainly happens during off-peak times by offering significantly lower prices for electricity for electric vehicle charging at off-peak times and higher prices during peak times.
Why electric vehicles? What about other technologies?
There are other different forms of motive technologies using different fuel sources that are also energy efficient or make use of renewable energy. The wide range of technologies include hybrid vehicles, vehicles capable of using sustainable biofuel blends, and potentially vehicles that run on hydrogen.
Manufacturers are researching and developing a wide variety of new and more environmentally sustainable vehicles which may give consumers more options to choose from in the future.
It is important that consumers are able to make a choice about which type of technology is appropriate for them and their needs and that they are given the right information so that they can make an informed choice. In the future New Zealand is likely to see vehicles running on ordinary petrol and diesel, sustainable biofuel blends or electricity, and combinations of these technologies in one vehicle.
What funding is available for electric vehicle research?
Research into electric vehicles is ongoing across the world and in particular Europe, Asia and the US. Both vehicle manufacturers and governments are investing significant sums into low carbon, environmentally friendly transport systems.
Despite New Zealand not having an indigenous car manufacturing industry, we are still playing a part in developing electric vehicles and benefiting from the global investment that is occurring. The Kiwi Research Information Service, available online at www.nzresearch.org.nz provides information on open-access research that is produced throughout New Zealand. Searching the topic of electric vehicles illustrates the type of research output that is being produced by our academic institutions.
New Zealand operates a successful platform for research funding. Access to funding is potentially available through a series of government organisations that support applied research. A useful starting point is the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology.
As is the case with other technologies, New Zealand has the opportunity to play a part in the development of the electric vehicle industry, in particular the infrastructure required to support deployment, and benefit from providing our knowledge and expertise overseas.
