Hyundai's First Electric Car - 10/1/08

New Zealand's first private electric car will be plugged into the power grid within six weeks.  The tiny car will have a top speed of 120km/h and be priced in the $35,000 range. 

Hyundai will be the first automaker to sell the new electric cars in New Zealand and has sold its first vehicle.  The unidentified electric car owner will receive his car in November.

The car will not be a hybrid, but a fully electric plug in. The Hyundai Getz model, which is currently being sold with gasoline engines, will be retro-fitted as the Hyundai Electric Getz.  The gasoline motor will be replaced with batteries and an electric motor.  The car will have zero emissions.

The car was developed by Australian based engineer Ross Blade.  Blade's company, Blade Electric Vehicles, will have a production facility in New Zealand.  Projected sales are at 200 per year.

Meridian Energy will introduce several Mitsubishi MiEV electric vehicles for trial and promotion purposes early next year.

New Zealands want electric cars to reach 5 per cent of the market share by 2020 and 60 percent by 2040.

The government wants to be one of the first countries in the world to widely use electric vehicles.

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