Fully electric, highly sought after: Tesla Model 3 comes to NZ
The Tesla Model 3 has been confirmed for Kiwi roads. The car is fully electric and highly sought-after, and is likely to be the first on New Zealand roads. It will be joining Mighty River Power's expanding fleet of EV models.
Fraser Whineray, Mighty River Power chief executive, says the company has reserved the Tesla this afternoon with the potential to showcase the latest plug-in electric vehicle (EV) technology in 'the most EV-ready market globally'.
"We have an almost unrivalled opportunity with New Zealand's 80% renewable electricity to make a real difference to the country's transport energy and emissions profile. This is a vehicle seen by many as the cutting-edge of innovation at a more affordable price," he says.
"In my view there is no better place in the world to be plugging in a vehicle than New Zealand, with our home-grown renewable energy delivered to your home or business at 30¢ a litre. No fossil fuel, or biofuel, will ever be that cheap or free from tailpipe emissions.
"The more natural Kiwi energy that we can pump into our cars and transportation system the better. We know that the most compelling advertisement for electric vehicles is to get people behind the wheel," says Whineray.
Tesla hosted Mighty River Power and Mercury Energy at their factory in California in January last year and Whineray says the purchase is an ideal complement to the company's fleet that includes Nissan LEAFs, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs, an Audi A3 e-tron, a BMW i3, Holden Volt, and a plug-in Toyota Prius.
In 2014 Mighty River Power committed to shifting 70% of its fleet to plug-in electric by 2018, with about 20% of its fleet currently plug-in electric.
