Even if you believe that filling up your car or truck with imported fuel isn't necessarily the best option for New Zealand (or the planet), finding an affordable electric alternative isn't easy.
The reasons why electric vehicles, or EVs, haven't taken off in New Zealand are many and varied; try cost, battery life, and the hassle of charging for starters. Could that change in the not too distant future though, with the electric car becoming an affordable transportation option for all drivers?
Well Steve West is banking on it. He's the developer behind the Serato DJing software, and he's also an electric car fan who's campaigning to get more people driving EVs here in New Zealand.
Mr West is putting nearly $1million of his and other investors' money into building a nationwide network of 23 fast charging stations by the end of this year.
Recharging an electric car using mains power takes hours, but one of these rapid chargers can do the job in about 25 minutes. And Mr West is hoping that this will prove a breakthrough for consumers.
He took This Way Up's Simon Morton for a drive in his Tesla Model S electric car, one of just six in New Zealand.
