Avis New Zealand has added close to 100 electric vehicles to its fleet with more to be on boarded in the next two years – making it New Zealand’s largest electric car rental fleet.
Avis customers will be able to choose from the latest Tesla Model 3, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 or the Hyundai Kona in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.
Avis New Zealand general manager Lee Marshall says the integration of more EV’s into its fleet is just the first step.
“We have big plans to continue down the EV path,” he says. We’re looking at expanding our electric fleet over the next 12 to 24 months.”
The addition of EV’s also signals the rental company’s desire to play its part in reducing climate pollution.
“We have been very conscious of New Zealand’s goal to move to a more sustainable economy and its desire to lower carbon emissions,” Lee says.
“Our investment in e-mobility and new charging infrastructure at three airport locations ensures we’re not only in the best position to capture Kiwis’ growing interest in greener transport solutions, but also offers them greater choice.
“You’ll start to see more Avis EV charging stations at other airport locations around the country soon.”
Avis New Zealand’s electric vehicle strategy over the past two years has also focussed on preparing for the re-start of international travel to ensure tourists have more sustainable options to choose from when they return.
With pricing similar to a comparable internal combustion engine vehicle, Marshall says trialling one of the new EVs is a viable option. The three models in the fleet can drive up to 430kms from a single charge, and with close to 100 EVs in the fleet there is real availability whether you are planning a holiday, a business trip or if you want to rent one to try before you buy.
“To help support our customers once they’ve rented an EV from us, we’ve created two QR codes with quick start guides. They give easy to understand step by step instructions about charging, where to charge, how long it takes to charge and how far a charge lasts,” Lee says.
“We also have links to the Chargenet and Plugshare apps for customers to find the closest charging station to avoid any concerns about range anxiety during trips.”
