Your take-home messages:
Test drives and word-of-mouth are the main sources of information that help New Zealanders switch to electric vehicles, but information in media and websites are also important. Females are most persuaded by test drives, and younger purchasers rely more on websites and social media. Providing that adequate supply of EVs keeps their cost contained, ramping the demand for EVs amongst new types of investors is now mainly a matter of patience and persistence. Well-established teams of collaborators just need to keep their independent and authoritative EV information streams flowing at full force.This month’s poll:
Our twenty-third 1-click survey asked New Zealand EV owners to complete the following statement “The main source of information that persuaded me to buy an EV was …” by choosing one of six options: 1. Word-of-mouth 2. A test drive 3. A website 4. A community event 5. Social media, paper, radio, TV 6. Other Respondents were invited to specify details or give reasons for their choices. If they added comments they were also asked to declare their age, gender and model of EV. The poll was sent to 1,017 participants in Flip the Fleet on 15 September 2018. There were 535 responses by 26 September 2018, 410 of which included comments to explain the reason for their answer.Why did we ask this question?
We wanted to better understand where, when and how people accessed the information that persuaded them to take the final leap to buy an electric car. Our aim was to guide low emission vehicle advocates, dealers and Flip the Fleet itself to where they should concentrate their efforts to persuade more people to buy EVs.Your scores
In retrospect, we phrased the moot too generally. Around a third (35%) of all respondents chose option 6 (‘Other’). Inspection of the subset that provided comments for this choice suggests that several declared their reasons for buying an EV rather than where they got their information for their choice. Their reasons reiterated those that have been well canvassed in earlier 1-click surveys (e.g. https://flipthefleet.org/2018/1-click-survey-18/), especially emission-free travel and low running costs Misinterpretation of the question forced us to weed out the scores of respondents whose comments indicated that they were giving the reason for their choice rather than the source of information for the decision. We discarded 78 of those selecting ‘Other’ because their comments focused solely on emissions reduction, model availability, loan interest rates, running costs, and drops in purchase price. A further 29 comments were reallocated to their corresponding categories, as the main source or event that lead to EV purchase was still clear from their comments. This left us with 343 responses for which we can be confident that the owner was genuinely considering where they got their main information to buy, rather than the reason to buy. Almost a third of survey participants were most persuaded to buy an EV following a test drive (27%), while one in five found word-of-mouth (20%) was the most convincing (Fig. 1). Media (19%) and websites (15%) were slightly less important influencers, while very few (2%) were most persuaded by community events. This still leaves a miscellaneous category of ‘Other’ sources of information (17%). These included watching environmental and tech-savvy films, attending lectures, seeing ‘what could be’ during travels overseas, conversations at car dealerships, and the mirroring of EV purchase modelled by family or close friends: “My youngest son bought one, then my oldest son bought one, as a father I could not stay behind and not join them and finally the son of my oldest son got one too. It has been a family thing to do our bit for the environment”. Some participants that chose ‘Other’ stated there was a severe lack of information in general when they bought an EV a while ago, while several declared that they didn’t need any persuasion at all to buy an EV as it was inherent in their lifestyle values alongside eco-installations such as solar. Quite a few ‘Other’ answers explained the decision to go EV was a collective one made following extensive “personal research”, and using “accumulated evidence” from several sources and experiences (each with an equal decisive impact). For example, one owner stated: “The rationale for buying an electric car was built up from many sources, all important but none seem more important than any others. We have had a long-standing interest in solar electric. There was media chat about electric cars. A colleague at work has a Nissan Leaf. A colleague of my daughter has a Nissan Leaf (and frustration over its range). The science behind global warming and the push to move away from fossil fuel use has become stronger. A local man set up a taxi service based on electric vehicles and a huge solar electric system. This was reported in the local paper. I rang him and he talked about what he’d done. Hyundai promotion for the Ioniq claimed a range of over 200km at a price that was within range. Then the websites on electric vehicles and the charging network provided supporting information”.
Table 1: Main information source that persuaded participants of different ages to purchase an electric vehicle. Data are sourced from 341 responses to the Flip the Fleet survey who commented and indicated their age in response to the main question.

Table 2: Responses to questions about the main information source that persuaded participants to purchase an electric vehicle by gender. Data are sourced from 335 responses to the Flip the Fleet survey and includes those who provided an information-related comment and indicated their gender.

What makes you click?
Personal testimony of owners really helps
Conversations between potential purchasers and work colleagues, family members, in-laws, bosses, neighbours, car salespeople and EV champions have convinced about 1 in 5 of you to make the switch to electric vehicles. It seems having a genuine interaction with a current EV owner is crucial to gaining the credible ‘insider info’ needed to make an informed choice. For one participant: “Talking to people who already had an EV was the way of confirming all the information gained from many other methods”, while another admits; “Donald Love talked me into it”. Seeing and hearing from work colleagues and family members who are enjoying the EV experience is hugely influential.Community events may be more important than the scores suggest
Although our survey presented word-of-mouth and community events as separate options for main sources of persuasive EV information, it seems the two have combined on many occasions to give a winning formula. Community events have presented a chance for interested public to speak to current owners when there isn’t a neighbour, co-worker or family member nearby to pester for information. Therefore, even though community events scored only 2% of your vote, the gateway they create for information to be dispersed shouldn’t be overlooked: “I attended an EV public event at The Dowse. There were many EVs and their owners, all willing to talk about their cars and I had a test drive. There was also a EV car sales company that I ended up buying my car from. I had already done some research and joined some Facebook groups as I was interested in getting an EV – however it was this event that convinced me that an EV was right for me. Mainly it was talking to people who actually owned, drove and charged them that gave me the chance to get all my questions answered”.Just drive it! – bumping EV misconceptions and increasing uptake through drive experience
A test drive was deemed “the clincher” for many purchasers. Opposing and biased information can skew perceptions, and there’s nothing like seeing or doing something for yourself to help you make up your own mind: “I thought the Leaf was a tiny “toy car” until I drove one. That completely changed my perspective. This happened on Leading The Charge in Dunedin in 2016. We bought our Leaf shortly after that”. A number of you opted to try an EV when needing to hire a car for remote work or a holiday. Day-loans from car dealerships, joy rides at numerous EV events, and driving an EV as a work vehicle have all convinced ICE owners to go electric. There’s been a lot of sharing spirit to give potential buyers information to make an informed decision and build confidence that EVs are both practical to own and pleasant to drive: “I have now given numerous friends, family, and complete strangers rides and/or let them drive my car. I hundred-percent stand by the fact that once you have driven one, it is only a matter of time before you flip”. The power of the driving experience has influenced both private and business purchases e.g. Driving personal EVs to work and taking bosses on test drives has encouraged uptake of EVs in business fleets, while cruising around in an EV for work is proving to employees that they are worth the personal investment: “I was driving the first Leaf taxi in Whangarei for Joe Camuso (superstar) and fell in love with it”.Dealers facilitating EV uptake
For the most part, survey participants have encountered helpful, informed and fair dealers when considering EVs. Dealers deemed “great sources of information” have gone above and beyond to make vehicles available to interested buyers: “I had been talking with the owner of a local car sales about the Nissan Leaf and whether they intended to import any. He said if I was interested they would and that’s what happened”. When faced with infinite and confusing online information, car dealers were an important source of information for some purchasers: “I found it difficult to get accurate information online about EVs. Lots of misinformation and rumours. Talking to an experienced dealer and taking a drive made me take the plunge”. It all comes down to trust and reputation e.g. one respondent decided to buy because it was “available and affordable from a dealer who people spoke well of”. For another, trust was built during the process: “ultimately it was the experience of visiting a knowledgeable dealer, seeing cars in person, driving one and listening to his knowledge and reasons to go electric”. Nevertheless not all dealers built confidence: one respondent bought their EV “from a car dealer in Wellington that didn’t know anything about them”.The special power of social media
Social media shone through as “invaluable” to help some people build confidence to buy electric. Local EV Facebook groups have connected potential buyers with owners both near and far, where information can flow back and forth with minimal effort in a secure environment. There are many posts appearing in the EV Owners’ Facebook groups of people asking pivotal questions as checks during a last stage of the purchase process. Obviously some people like the digital yet personable option; stating it grew ‘a familiarity with the issues associated with owning a Leaf which gave [me] the confidence to go ahead and buy one’. This form of media was also useful for those approaching EVs from a purely environmental stand point, with one owner stating: “I wanted an EV for environmental impact and was nervous about the real-world application. Facebook conversations gave me confidence”. What’s more, any awkwardness in asking ‘newbie questions’ seems to dissipate with a screen between prospective and current owners, who feel “able to think aloud and get answers to all the questions” they may have. Deemed a place where people feel comfortable to “ask questions and read about other’s experiences” on a fairly personal level, this form of media has helped in both the buying of EVs and mastering the ins and outs of vehicle ownership. Some used social media to accrue knowledge during the buying process, while for others: “Hooking into Facebook groups came after the purchase but was extremely useful after we’d already committed ourselves to buying an EV”.Flip the Fleet is an information destination and disperser
Providing “reassurance of a supportive community of EV owners”, Flip the Fleet was also viewed as a useful social platform for those considering a switch. While the website “answered all our questions on battery health, how to charge, which kind of plug to get etc.”, the “firmware write ups” and papers provided along with promotional activities such as the Otago Daily Times article and interviews on RadioNZ have been influential to owners during their EV journey. Awesome! These comments align with many unsolicited emails that the Flip the Fleet team receive from purchasers who refer to the information taking some of the stress and uncertainty out of the situation.The Courtesy Car project is a winner
Information gathered at Automotive diagnostics training seminars and through word-of-mouth within industry has led several vehicle service providers to join the Courtesy Car project, buy an EV, and upskill: “The idea behind it was for it to be used as a workshop loan vehicle to give more people a chance to drive an EV & also for us to learn how to service, maintain & repair them”. The project was part funded by the government’s Low Emission Vehicle Contestable Fund (https://www.eeca.govt.nz/funding-and-support/low-emission-vehicles-contestable-fund/). It’s good to see the subsidy helping to solve the gap in service and EV support, a concern highlighted by many of you in prior surveys.Multiple information sources help
A large number of comments show that many purchasers consulta wider range of information sources and work systematically through them to make a considered choice – clearly purchase of an expensive and hugely important thing like a car requires considerable homework and is quite a tense process. We think these comments highlight some of the values shared amongst the EV community – letting desire build, weighing up options, waiting until the time is right, making informed decisions, trusting the opinions of good people, yet always needing to discover for oneself (hello test drive!). “We had always been keen on an electric car but thought they were more expensive. A visit to the dealer who specialises in them made us think more about it and he gave us some info to read. Our son in law also had some articles he had read in the ReNew magazine. It all stacked up so we went for a test drive – all we needed to convince us. We are LOVING it!!!!”. A mixture of information for the realist, experience, and knowing there will be ongoing support are all valuable support for EV adoption.It’s not just a need for information on the EVs – other considerations must fit
Throughout your comments, it was made clear that accessing detailed and trusted information is only part of the decision – several other external criteria must match the purchasers needs and constraints before the EV dream could be realised. Purchase price dropping considerably, fuel prices rising, ability to afford a second car, the need to upgrade an existing car, and building enough confidence in the charging network all factored in to the purchasing decision. Recent completion of a certificate in renewable tech from SIT gave one buyer the confidence that they could handle any maintenance needs. Sometimes the EV information is melded with more general sustainability information sources, so the option to switch to electric comes entirely from sources that are not specifically about cars.There is increasingly amounts and better information out there
Several early adopters have noticed that information is now more readily available compared to when they took the plunge: “I say Other just because there really wasn’t much usable, findable info on EVs in NZ when we started investigating and bought. It’s much better now”. For one EV team: “International newspapers were our source of information coupled with carbon footprint calculators (online) to see how we could best reduce our family’s carbon footprint”. Others felt comfortable making the switch only when facts and figures became accessible and aligned, purchasing an EV due to: “a combination of increase in information regarding electric vehicles and a decrease in price as they became more available”. Nowadays, the right information put in the right hands at the right time can increase uptake EVeryday!: “On Sunday afternoon I went through the information following many links to other sites and saw a vehicle for sale at a very good price. Just as I was about to leave the site I noticed the firm was local. On Monday I rang them, went and viewed the vehicle and bought it at 10AM”.Media information streams
The world-wide web has proved invaluable for pooling information, assessing and following global EV markets, and making TradeMe price comparisons from the comfort of home or office. Logging on to Flip the Fleet, accessing sites such as Geekzone (Steve Withers’ content), watching Sam Holford’s guide to buying a Nissan Leaf on github, streaming the Fully Charged show, reading Consumer and ReNew magazine articles online, and bingeing on YouTube were all mentioned as sources of information to finally buy an EV. Films such as “Who Killed the Electric Car?”, “Revenge of the Electric Car”, and “Before the Flood” all sparked a shift to lower-emissions travel, while RadioNZ EV coverage, Tony Seba’s ‘Clean Disruption’ video on YouTube, and the Consumer survey showing Kiwis voted the Leaf as the number 1 reliable car all added to the transition rate. There are a lot of people out there providing valuable information – EVolution is obviously a peoples’ movement.Discussion and conclusions
Buying any car is an important decision with serious consequences if you get it wrong. Choosing an EV, a whole new type of car, is potentially a doubly fraught process for many people because of several unknowns, the mass of new information involved, conflicting advice and the EVs’ relatively high purchase price. On the other hand, some early adopters were completely confident in their decision to go electric because the ethical imperative to mitigate climate change trumps most of their other concerns. Around half of the current EV owners in New Zealand bought primarily because of the EVs’ green credentials (https://flipthefleet.org/2018/1-click-survey-18/). Sustained EV uptake will depend on convincing the “early majority” to join the “early adopters” to switch to electric. Some of the next tranche of EV purchasers will be naturally more cautious of new technology, have less financial capacity to buy a comparatively expensive car, or may not share the over-riding values motivation of early adopters. There will be an increasing need for clear, reliable and detailed information of a fast-changing technology and the associated national EV support infrastructure to convince the early majority to go electric. It is encouraging that our survey identified that much more information on EVs is currently available than even just a year ago when some early adopters had to rely more on their own research. Nevertheless, much more work needs to be done to get this information out to prospective buyers. Market research carried out for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) suggests that New Zealanders’ familiarity with EVs is low and has improved only slightly since the survey started in the fourth quarter of 2016 (see Autofile, October 2018, p17; https://autofile.co.nz/magazine). When asked how they would rate their familiarity with EVs, 14% of people replied they knew about them “very well or quite well”. This was for the period from April to June 2018, and compared to 12% between October and December 2016. Similarly, nearly half (42%) of the UK public aren’t sure if you can put an electric vehicle (EV) through a car wash (https://www.goultralow.com/news/press-releases/thats-shocking-brits-underestimate-benefits-switching-pure-electric-car-42-dont-think-can-put-one-car-wash/). And 89% of them don’t know that EVs are faster, much faster, off the line when you put your foot down. There is a well described ‘Gartner Hype Cycle’ for new technologies of all sorts, which we have framed for the EV case in Fig. 2. Inflated expectations can arise from a natural tendency to build excitement and hope about any new technology, it’s functionality, and how much it can penetrate markets. Some well-meaning “EVangelists” undoubtedly exaggerate the utility and benefits of EVs, perhaps in part to encourage uptake for broader goals like climate change mitigation. Similarly, vested interests in making, distributing, selling and servicing internal combustion vehicles may be reluctant to seek detailed information of a new technology, or deliberately misrepresent EVs by exaggerating their limitations or underplaying their benefits (for example, see http://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/…/glib-car-dealers-are…/.). The situation is not helped by lazy and unprofessional ‘research’ by journalists that have key opinion-maker roles in media. When a lot of investments are at stake and uncertainty about a new technology is inevitable, both “sides” tend to escalate a battle of information and persuasion. Citizen science can help the general public to navigate this turbulence. Flip the Fleet is dedicated to (i) accelerating the increase in visibility of EVs, (ii) reducing the “peak of inflated expectations” and (iii) depth of the “trough of disillusionment”, (iv) hastening the onset of the “slope of enlightenment”, so that (v) EVs penetrate further and faster into all aspects of New Zealand’s transport system.
Figure 2: Gartner’s Hype Cycle framed for EV uptake
Many respondents to our survey described a lengthy process of research that drew information together from a wide variety of sources before they finally bought an EV. Obviously, the process has many stages that reinforce each other. The experience of taking a test drive was an ultimate “clincher” for many EV owners – obviously people need to feel comfortable and safe in any car, and the “fun”, easy-to-drive, and comfortable ride provided by EVs is one of their main assets (https://flipthefleet.org/2018/1-click-survey-18/). However, very few purchasers will have got as far as taking an EV for a test drive without first having first encountered and processed a considerable amount of information about the advantages and potential limitations of EVs. Most people first need to have their curiosity piqued and be attracted to the general concept before investing time and effort to research further. Many respondents could not identify a clear single “main” source of information. Also, our categories were not all mutually exclusive. For example, “community events” ranked infrequently as the main source of information, but many such events have offered test drives. This suggests that effective EV uptake campaigns must promote and maintain a wide variety of information sources and to keep them refreshed. There was no clear “winner” in the main sources of information identified by our respondents, so casting a wide net of communication channels is required to reach the maximum number and type of prospective buyers. On the whole there were only slight differences in the information sources used by different age and gender groups. Women relied more on test drives and men on media and websites. Older owners placed least reliance on websites and social media. Overall, 39% of those owners who declared their age were 60 or more years old, so finding the most effective ways of offering information to this segment of the population is very important for EV uptake. Only members of Flip the Fleet were invited to complete this survey, all of whom regularly use computers and the internet to participate in Flip the Fleet at all. Regular use of computers declines with age, especially from 65 years (http://archive.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/industry_sectors/information_technology_and_communications/HouseholdUseofICT_HOTP2012/Commentary.aspx). We hypothesise that the proportion of older people who own EVs is actually higher than indicated by our participation rates in Flip the Fleet surveys like this one. Many older people are receptive to buying EVs and have the financial capacity to buy them, so that targeted campaigns to reach senior citizens could potentially accelerate EV uptake a lot. The current advertisements by Mercury Energy that feature older adventurers are likely to resonate with this segment of the population. Our survey emphasises huge value in EV Owners groups on Face Book to help prospective and existing owners, but older owners use and trust it less. Facebook use declines sharply with increasing age past 35 years (https://www.statista.com/statistics/681512/new-zealand-facebook-users-by-age/). There is an impressive 4,120 members of the New Zealand EV Owners Group (as of 14 October 2018). Other EV owners will perhaps affiliate only to the more specialised Facebook groups (regional hubs, NZ Leaf Owners, Mitsubishi Outlander owners). As there are approximately 10,000 individual owners in New Zealand, in round terms we can expect that about half to be members of an EV Owners support group using Facebook. Many others consult the pages at their prospecting phase, even if they do not join the group once they have bought an EV. The Facebook interactions enable a type of word-of-mouth exchange in the sense that participants can ask their fellow EV owners quite specific questions about their own situation or needs. The very presence of the EV Facebook groups, and the information they provide, obviously builds the confidence of many prospective buyers. However, it will be important to provide reliable information to a large section of the public whom are less in the habit of consulting social media platforms, or trust it less for reliable information. Our survey emphasises that uptake of EVs is primarily a social process of raising awareness, evaluation, decision-making and vindication of that decision to buy (assuming it all worked out as expected). This is a common finding when considering enablers and barriers to acceptance of all manner of new ideas and technologies (see Everett Roger’s treatise on Diffusion of Innovations; https://flipthefleet.org/2018/1-click-survey-18/). Having reliable information for informed choice is just one requirement, albeit an important one. Receiving validation of the new technology from peers, trusted informants, family, friends and colleagues is enormously influential, as seen in the prominence of “Word-of-mouth” sources of information in this survey (Fig. 1). Increased visibility of EVs also helps normalises them and builds confidence in their utility i.e. the idea that “if all those other people buy them, they must be good”. The importance of word-of-mouth and social testimony about EVs is both an opportunity and a risk for EV uptake. The social networks go deep into everyday life and places where formal sources of information cannot so readily penetrate. That’s great when the news is good – but damaging when the news is bad or based on misinformation. The turbulence in the Gartner Hype Cycle (Fig. 2) is extreme because of the trust placed in conventional wisdom or shrill opponents or advocates of EVs. Personalised attacks of opponents undermine trust in the information itself, potentially leading to undue caution or inaction because of confusion. Flip the Fleet works simply by organising ways of gathering the testimony of the early adopters and spreading it faster and wider to prospective buyers, hopefully in a form and place that is trusted and believed. We have reports of members using the data to convince their friends and associates of the validity of the EV choice, and see instances where the participants are analysing and reporting data from Flip the Fleet in discussions on the Facebook pages (https://flipthefleet.org/2018/how-can-flip-the-fleet-more-effectively-encourage-people-to-buy-evs/). Therefore we are confident that your data are finding their way into ‘face-to-face’ conversations and social media. We are also trying very hard to use your data to give legitimacy to our media releases and encourage editors and reporters to feature the material (https://flipthefleet.org/resources/media-clippings/). This survey suggests that the wider media programmes are starting people on a slower and more in-depth process of research that leads some people to eventually buying an EV. Finally, we are using the data in various formal presentation and discussion group settings (https://flipthefleet.org/resources/presentations/) and displays, trade shows and art shows (https://flipthefleet.org/resources/infographics/). It’s a slow process that requires patience and persistence to reach and convince newcomers of the value of such a fundamentally different type of car, especially when peoples’ lifestyles have been greatly enhanced by superb ICVs for decades. For this reason, it is important that EV owners continue to contribute information and personalised testimony to other members in their social networks. For some buyers, trust in scientific data will enrich the word-of-mouth conversations. For others, the data will largely be irrelevant. All types of information help build curiosity and confidence to the point where people will take a test drive and confront the decision at a more experiential and emotional level. The results of this survey offer a tremendous affirmation for many volunteers and professionals from throughout New Zealand that have teamed up to promote EVs in different ways. The Better NZ Trust has offered test drives to thousands of people, organised the national Leading the Charge and International Drive Electric events, provided a useful web page and built a nationwide network of experts and volunteers (http://betternz.org/). ChargeNet NZ is the main provider of the rapid charging infrastructure, but also provides information packs for owners and funds the NZ Electric Vehicle Podcast series https://www.podcasts.nz/nz-ev-podcast/. Many electricity suppliers provide free rapid charging to incentivise uptake. The EV World team have organised spectacular trade shows and gathered expert speakers together from around the world and New Zealand to inform businesses and the public. The Sustainable Business Network promotes smart transport solutions through awards and workshops for business and policy makers (https://sustainable.org.nz/). Drive Electric provides business advice and national commentary to accelerate uptake of EVs by businesses. Mercury and other large corporates are actively promoting EVs beyond the sale of their own services. Victoria Carter (City Hop), Kirsten Corson (YooGo Share) and Erik Zydervelt (Mevo) and their teams are sinking enormous energy into establishing businesses using new models of vehicle ownership. Many empowered dealers have risked a lot and done the hard yards to research and promote EVs – they are pioneer “early adopters” of entirely another sort that have combined business with technical skills. EVolocity has worked brilliantly with school children to promote EVs by innovative means (https://evolocity.co.nz/). There are far too many individual “EV Champions” working in a voluntary capacity to mention them all here, but a sample provides a glimpse of the individual commitments that have gone to get the EV revolution rolling. ChargeNet’s success and generosity for the EV cause are a testament to the energy and commitment of Dee and Steve West. Sigurd Magnusson has helped thousands of New Zealanders find the salient information about EVs by creating and constantly updating the NZ Electric Car Guide and creating videos (http://www.electricheaven.nz/). Kathryn & Greg Trounson and Sean Dick have led the Better NZ Trust. Oana and Paul Jones have made EV films for Charged As, their own dedicated YouTube channel (http://chargedas.com/). Alan Wilden has provided focussed technical instructional videos to help Leaf owners navigate Japanese dashboards. Innovative experts like Walter Larason from EVs Enhanced have supported technical repairs and patches to get the very best out of imported EVs. Countless leaders have organised displays and workshops and built networks at regional hubs (e.g. Pam McKinlay, Martin Kane, Mark Nixon, Megan Reynolds, Donald Love, Sue Pugmire, Justin Boyd, Margaret Baker, Joe Cumuso) and run local experiments or provided specialist knowledge (e.g. Russell Watson). Roving ambassadors like Steve Withers, Martin Kane and Donald Love tend to show up at any EV event anywhere in the country. The New Zealand government has provided considerable funds to promote EV demonstration projects and research. There are many policy makers and strategists working at government level to accelerate EV uptake, but it is fair to single out the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority (EECA) for their facilitation role. They have commission salient research, provided an informative website and business decision-making tools, printed pamphlets and information booklets, and administered the very effective Low Emission Vehicle Contestable Fund. If it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it!”. This survey suggests that many, varied and effective sources of information about EVs are flowing successfully and hitting their target audiences. No gaps were identified by the survey respondents. An inspiring collaboration between multiple players and layers is already providing information to diverse prospective owners and making EVs more visible for people to imagine owning one themselves. EVs are increasingly accessible for people to test them and match the capacity of the different models to their own budget and vehicle use requirements. As the demand for EVs escalates, guaranteeing supply of EV is the main remaining large challenge for transitioning New Zealand to a low carbon vehicle fleet – the demand side has now achieved its own momentum in the wider community, but perhaps still has a long way to go within businesses. Information sources will still have to be regularly refreshed to report rapidly improving technology and to keep flowing to displace embedded fixed ideas and habits related to current ICV use. However, the current information sources seem to be broadly trusted, accessible and sufficiently varied in delivery formats to reach diverse types of early adopters. Providing that adequate supply of EVs keeps their cost contained, ramping the demand for EVs amongst new types of investors is now mainly a matter of patience and persistence. Well-established teams of collaborators just now need to keep their independent and authoritative EV information streams flowing at full force.
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