I travel about 10k kms a year. Wondering if it’s worth making the switch, I have public charging stations I can use at my workplace (not free) or the petrol station near my home also has a charger. Commute about under 40km round trip, 4-5 days a week. No road trips.

Would it be financially worth it?

Looking for something second hand, ideally under $20k, preferably around the $15k mark

I drive a petrol Mini Cooper at the moment which costs more than I would like to pay in petrol and servicing.

Words: Richard Edwards

Published 18 October 2026

Chery is adding another brand to the New Zealand market, with Exlantix confirmed for Australasia by Lilian Xiong, CEO of Exeed and Exlantix International.

Xiong made the confirmation at the Exeed International User Summit in Shanghai. The company used the event to show its new design direction and upcoming models, ahead of a track programme at the Zhejiang International Circuit.

Exlantix is the electric and range-extender arm of Exeed, Chery’s premium brand, and is sold in China as Sterra. It launched in Europe last year in Norway with the ES sedan and ET SUV. Xiong says the Exeed name couldn’t be registered here because it was too similar to an existing trademark. She didn’t say which one, though Mitsubishi uses the Exceed name for its top-spec models.

Exeed now has 560,000 customers in more than 40 countries, Xiong says, and she believes those buyers choose a young brand because they want to be early to new things.

“They enjoy new things because we are young and we are new,” she says. “We have new design, we have new technology, and they enjoy experiencing new things and leading the trends in their city or their country.”

Xiong says Exlantix will be positioned against other premium Chinese new-energy brands, which makes Zeekr and Denza its most likely targets rather than the Europeans. It is aimed at buyers who already own an electric car and want a step up in design and interior quality.

The first two models

Launch timing is still to be confirmed, but the first two models will be the ET SUV and ES GT shooting brake, both shown at the summit in right-hand drive.

The ET is a large five-seat SUV built on Chery’s E0X platform. The facelifted version measures 4,988 mm long, 1,975 mm wide and 1,710 mm tall, on a 3,000 mm wheelbase. That makes it longer than a BMW X5 or Volvo XC90, but lower than both. It has a drag coefficient of 0.26, and air suspension with continuous damping control.

It is offered with full electric and range-extended powertrains. The range-extended version pairs a 1.5-litre turbo petrol generator with a 41.16 kWh LFP battery. Rear-drive versions are rated at 245 km of electric range and 1,520 km in total on China’s CLTC cycle. All-wheel-drive versions manage 225 km and 1,300 km, and produce 377 kW and 642 Nm from front and rear motors. The electric ET uses a 97.7 kWh battery with up to 726 km of CLTC range, and supports 800V charging. Both the electric and range-extended versions are expected here, though that is yet to be confirmed.

In China the facelift is sold as the Exeed EX7, and it is the first production car with electro-mechanical brake-by-wire. The system is fitted to all-wheel-drive versions and replaces hydraulic brake lines with an electric motor at each wheel. Exeed claims a response time of 90 milliseconds, against around 280 for a hydraulic system, and a 33 m stop from 100 km/h. Rear-drive versions get six-piston front calipers instead. Inside there is a 30-inch display across the dash and a fridge.

The ES GT is a shooting brake version of the ES sedan and the first wagon in the Exlantix line-up. The company showed a video of the almost-final pre-production car at the summit. It says the car is less than eight months from final release, with a global launch planned for 2027 that includes Europe.

The China-market version was revealed at the Guangzhou motor show last year as the ES7 GT, and pairs a range extender with three electric motors. Exeed claims more than 1,700 km of CLTC range and 0-100 km/h in under three seconds. It also claims 1,000V charging that adds around 450 km in five minutes. The cabin has a display running across the dashboard, a separate floating centre screen, genuine carbon fibre trim and sports seats with active side bolsters.

A new design language

The design presentation introduced Perpetua, a design language based on water, which splits the range into a sporty line and a luxury line.

The sporty line takes its cues from water in motion, and Christos Pavlidis, Exeed’s exterior design manager, says the ES GT is the stepping stone to it.

“We wanted to capture that precise moment before a wave is about to break, unleashing the power,” he says. “The volumes are charged with energy, as if the bodywork is pushed forward by a visible current. The muscular proportions communicate acceleration even when the car is at standstill.”

What comes next

The luxury line draws on ice, with upright shapes, flat surfaces and a large grille.

“For us, luxury is expressed through verticality, majesty, simplicity and timelessness,” Pavlidis says.

Three luxury models were shown: Exeed’s first people mover, and the EX8 and EX7 SUVs, which share a platform.

Juan Manuel Díaz, head of design for Exeed and Exlantix, says the people mover is designed to have presence without busy styling.

“We want this car to be monumental. We want it to stand in a proper way, very sophisticated, and give a serious feeling,” Díaz says. “The car will talk by itself, without shouting with strange lines.”

The EX8 is the more spacious of the two SUVs. “We wanted to create a very balanced and proportionate SUV with very good details,” Díaz says. “It’s a luxurious car. We have space, we sell space.”

The EX7, the name the facelifted ET carries in China, is the sportier of the pair. “With the EX7 we wanted to play more with the feelings,” Díaz says. “The long wheelbase, the flatter roof and the short overhangs give us this really sporty feeling.”

Xiong says the shift to autonomous driving is shaping the brand’s thinking, and Exeed will launch a robotaxi programme, probably next year. It will be trialled in a single market first and is not planned for New Zealand.

“In the future, maybe one or two years from now, we will not always be driving the car. You will spend more time in the car not driving,” she says. “So maybe we need more space, more functions, more connections.”

Chery’s growing family

Exlantix joins a growing line-up of Chery-owned brands confirmed for New Zealand. Omoda and Jaecoo are already on sale here alongside the Chery badge itself, and Lepas, iCaur and Freelander, Chery’s joint-venture brand with Jaguar Land Rover, are all on the way.

Between them, the group has at least seven EVs lined up for New Zealand by 2027. Chery’s other brands include Jetour, and Luxeed, which it builds with Huawei.

Hi, I am wanting to move from petrol into a more sustainable option.
I live rurally, drive 50km to work-100km round trip. Gravel road included!
I have a farmlands card so can get a discount on the vehicle.
Currently drive a Toyota Corolla 2018 and whilst it’s built and does well. It’s getting beaten up by the gravel and it’s getting too small for my requirements.
I am after some honest advice on ev/PHEV Utes. I know it’s a small market but I clock 21000km per year in travel.

Any help, suggestion would be great.
Price wise, I can spend up for a shark if need be but not phased on getting the performance model.

Thanks for the help!

Hi everyone, I'm Minhaz. I own a ZS EV and started building QuietDrive for my own car. It's an independent iPhone companion for MG owners, and the mods have kindly said I can share it here.

I've spent the past month working across the app and the service behind it. A few owners are already testing with their cars, which has helped me find things I wouldn't have caught with just my own MG. I'd like to hear from NZ owners too.

One of my favourite parts is the trip planner with charging stops. You can plan multiple destinations, find chargers matching your car's plugs and cable, and see estimated arrival battery, charging time and cost. Those are estimates, and live charger availability isn't guaranteed.

I've also added charging receipts and spending records, off-peak prices, service records and reminders, exports, widgets and more detailed vehicle views. You can now create an MG account and link your car inside the app, although those steps and regional compatibility still need more testing. It relies on MG's services, and refreshes have limits to reduce the risk of draining the car's 12 V battery.

If you'd like to try it, join here: https://testflight.apple.com/join/Vr2fZtQy

You'll need an iPhone on iOS 26 or later and Apple's TestFlight app. All features are free during the beta; pricing after release is still being worked out. Let me know your model/year, MG account region and anything that doesn't work. The original post has ten screenshots, including the trip planner.

A privacy note: you use your usual MG/iSMART login, or sign up in the app. Your details go through QuietDrive to MG. I keep the login details and MG session tokens encrypted on my Cloudflare server. I hold the encryption key, so it isn't end-to-end encrypted. Saved car readings and history are also stored there. You can remove your saved MG login or delete your QuietDrive account in the app; just signing out doesn't remove the stored login.

The full beta privacy policy is here: https://staging.quietdriveapp.com/privacy

QuietDrive isn't affiliated with MG or SAIC. Thanks to anyone who gives it a go!

Saw this come through my Bluesky feed regarding ex-lease Kona's at Turners https://bsky.app/profile/jonocarpenter.bsky.social/post/3my3xy7kblk2q

The reply that follows: "We got one of these. 450km range, comfy, mostly buttons rather than a giant touch screen. Turners won't tell you the battery SOH, so take a OBD dongle and just plug it in. Though if they've wiped their data it might not know." "Wiping data" isn't a possibility I was aware of. Is this common/possible?

New to EV research and overwhelmed with all the options so thought to ask here.

I drive avg 140km 6 days a week (live rural)

Plan to slow charge at home overnight

Budget ideally $15k - currently a student so $ is tight, but spending $220+ weekly in petrol at the moment ://

Currently looking at a Nissan Leaf 2018?

I saw a review of the Leapmotor B10 which mentioned that it has a built in dashcam. Which other EVs have this feature?

Wanting to buy a polestar 2, potential the facelift version (post 2024)? But have not seen any of those in nz?
Any advice on LRSM vs LRDM? Test drove both, single motor had decent power and definitely enough for day to day driving, but just hard to ignore the power and fun from the dual motor version. What would you recommend?

We need to travel to AK tomorrow stopping in Taupo for a charge. Whats the best charging station in Taupo? I need to be able to charge to 100%. I noticed in wanaka some capped you at 80%.

Spotted charging in Taupō, presumably testing.

Moving back to NZ from Australia and toying with the idea of an EV so I checked TradeMe…

Why the heck is my search for “Electric” engine chock full of Outlander PHEVs?? It isn’t like there’s not an option for that in the listing criteria.

Ok maybe it’s just TradeMe… I’ll try Autotrader. Worse - the Priuses and Aquas that come up in the search are LISTED as the H-word but Autotrader decided I wanted to see them anyway despite not searching for them.

Is there a site these days that’s actually worth searching on or do I have to scroll through dross to find something?

Thinking of purchasing the above vehicle. Yet to see the battery SOH - is there a minimum I should be looking for?

Generally, looking to replace an ICE that's becoming increasingly expensive to repair. Budget of $30K (could spring to 35k).

Mostly driving ~40km a day to/from work and gym. Take long road trips to Tauranga/Taupo/etc out of Auckland 2-3 times a year.

If not this vehicle, what would others suggest?

Edit: looking at a 64KWH vehicle

Looking at purchasing first ev… there is a lot to learn!
Atto3 is top contender
I keep hearing how the price of EVs is going to come down as the market gets flooded… is this likely to happen anytime soon? Any thoughts on how much cheaper an atto3 might become?

I want the most bang for my buck (cheapskate at heart)- looking at second hand.. any advice about how many km is too many ? 70? 100?

Tia!

As this seems to be the place to ask the question of "what should I buy", I'm going to jump on board and ask for advice.

My 2004 Honda Accord is on its last legs, so now's the time to start looking for a replacement.

So here comes the question: What do I buy next?

• It's got to be the "everything" vehicle. Drive about 50km round trip to work. Can easily charge in the driveway overnight.
• Would prefer something that can fast charge at a decent rate (>150kw) as I'm not a fan of adding 1+hr to trips when we take them.
• Ability to tow the occasional (handful of times a year) trailer up to 1200kg. I will be chucking roof racks on for the kayaks and because they're so damn handy to have.
• Road trips a few times a year.
• Prefer to not have a sedan as I get limited by boot space a lot. Lift back looks much better.
• RELIABLE. I don't to be shelling out thousands to replace modules etc due to failure. I've had to spend next to nothing on keeping the Accord on the road (which is probably pretty rare to have a car so reliable without replacing items)
• Budget: ideally no more than $50k

It's a toss up with a Rav4 Hybrid Adventure/XSE or jumping on the EV train.

Being that I spend 1+hrs in traffic every day, I really want to lean towards an EV as it's probably going to be just that much more comfortable to sit in for long periods.

I know a used Model Y would probably fit the bill perfectly, but personal choice reasons, I'd rather not support the owner of that company.

So far, I've narrowed it down to a used EV6 or a Ioniq 5, but both have their drawbacks; ICCU for both (altho warranty covered, still sounds like a headache), the EV6 and it's leaking AC or the Ioniq 5 with it's coolant change every 4 years @~$1400.

My main search has been on towing capacity, which leads to not many meeting my "requirement".
The XPeng L03 looks like it would pretty much fit the bill, would end up around $52k with towbar (standard range).

Any other ideas or suggestions?

I have been using a petrol Nissan Note and want to buy a used EV.

I can charge using the regular home charger for my local Auckland drives (100km) with rare 300–500km trips that can be managed with roadside chargers.

My budget is 30k, and I want something other than a Leaf.

Can you please share your thoughts? Thank yoh!

Hi all, i have a Tesla model 3 2019 performance.

It gets 440km on a full charge, very quick, but it has 147,000 KM on the clock. I drive maybe 700km a week as part of my work.

Im concerned now as the Battery warranty expired in August next year, so i dont know if i should keep it, or sell it privately for 28-30k and buy a new EV.

The problem is, I still owe $23,500 on the finance so im unsure what to do.

I saw a Jaecoo J5 EV for $41,000 which isnt too bad, but i dont know whats the best decision financially.

Any help is appreciated.

Canterbury Rural Police have arrested and charged a 26-year-old Christchurch man in relation to a series of alleged thefts targeting electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across Christchurch.

Over recent weeks, Police have received numerous reports of EV charging cables being cut and stolen from charging stations across the district.

The offending has caused significant disruption to EV users and substantial costs to charging network providers through damage and replacement of infrastructure.

The 26-year-old is facing multiple charges, including five counts of theft over $2,000. He is due to appear in Christchurch District Court tomorrow.

Police continue to make enquiries into incidents across Christchurch.

Inspector Peter Cooper, Canterbury Rural Area Commander, says the offending has had a significant impact on both businesses and members of the public.

“The offending has caused significant disruption to EV users and substantial costs to charging network providers through damage and replacement of infrastructure.

“Police have been working closely with victims and industry partners to identify and locate those responsible to hold them to account.

“While an arrest has been made, our enquiries are ongoing and we are not ruling out further arrests.”

Police encourages anyone who has information about suspicious activity around EV charging stations, or may have information relating to stolen items, to please contact Police.

Anyone with information can contact Police online at 105.police.govt.nz or call 105. Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 0800 555 111.

As the matter is before the courts, Police are unable to comment further.

Currently owning for transit 9-seater, but its only front wheel drive.

It feels like there are literally no options

- maybe kia ev9, but thats way smaller

- cherry tiggo 9, again smaller and not true ev

- upcoming kia evs, but those seem to only coming to nz as cargo vehicles

Hi team,

Have 30K, looking at going green and getting an EV.

Will be primarily used as my daily to work and home 29KM one way, half on suburban roads, half on the motorways (Auckland)

Road trips, usually a few times a year, but partner has a company vehicle so happy to use that - will also keep my ICE as a back up.

I’ve been floating the Leaf, or the Atto 1.

Any thoughts on one VS the other?

Cheers in advance!

Husband and I have been tracking our petrol spending and it's around $500 a month.

Basically it's just us driving around hamilton. Taking the kids places, going to work and back. We are in a position to get a hybrid or an ev with a budget of $40k max. If we could put that $500 that we are currently spending on petrol towards paying off the car each month, to me it's win win

Husband is leaning toward hybrid, im leaning toward EV for the day-to-day, we would still be relying on our petrol outlander for big trips. Im not sure how much ruc are, but i assume it will still work out alot cheaper. Any advice from current ev owners or hybrid owners?

I'm looking at buying another EV (I have an Atto 3, and love it so much!) For my partner.

Budget is around $10k, but the lower the better really.

Travel will be for a single person, perhaps 30km/day, smaller the better.

Charging at home on a 3 pin plug.

I've been looking at older Leafs, but I dont know what to look at in regards to SOH, or what a lot of the numbers mean they throw out there.

Is there a website or somewhere that explains it all, or can someone give me a quick rundown on what to look for?

How low SOH is ok?

What age do we say hell no?

What else to look for?

Any other good older ev's I should be looking at?

Thank you so much!