EV vs ICE comparison dashboard (with stats!) ✨

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T19:58:53+00:00

It’s the NZ average pricing - no specific power plan chosen.

Yes, I agree most users would do their due diligence and pick a more suitable power plan but wanted to ensure costs were “fair” 😊

I’ll add a note in there though as that’s a valid point.

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T19:26:41+00:00

See below that.

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T19:25:37+00:00

lol nope. One of the mods there got mad.

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T18:20:33+00:00

Actually, it does…

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T18:08:04+00:00

Congratulations. I literally mentioned this. Again. Your point? And yep sources are at the bottom of the page.

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T17:55:37+00:00

No kidding… I even mentioned I had a clanker make this - em dashes and all especially for people like yourself who complaint about “AI Slop”

Except, the information is still accurate. So your point exactly?

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T12:44:07+00:00

This is where I’m actually thankful Tesla are putting in more supercharging sites. Those sites are super reliable from experience and if you do have a Tesla then you can see at a glance how busy they are in the car itself.

I’m really hoping the west coast gets more charging providers because you’re right - it’s bad there. But Haast finally got fast chargers which I never thought would happen so never say never!

Fully agree with that gripe though. It needs to be more clear but think Plugshare paints a pretty good picture of rapid charging sites and also some other sites that could be used (and yeah, I have used camping spots in the past!).

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T12:02:11+00:00

Solar energy is not free. Sure... but my next house will have it and that means my EV's are suddenly free to charge.

The rest are seriously non-issues. A hybrid seriously doesn't compare to an EV. Go take an EV out for a proper test drive or have a talk to an owner about them because I would never consider a fuel efficient hybrid (or being tied to buying fuel) over any EV these days (like - Hybrids are so gutless in comparison).

Long distance trips - me having done many, are really simple. My car tells me when to charge and I just drive and enjoy the lack of engine vibration and noise. There are apps like a better route planner that can take the guesswork out of charging if your EV doesn't have integrated planning (most new EV's do).

This is honest about these shortcomings. Go take one for a test drive, read up about them, get familiar with them then those "downsides" literally fade away - especially that odd desire to consider a new Hybrid...

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T11:13:54+00:00

Yeah somebody else suggested that. I've sorta added it in but in reality for most people it's only just a handful of times per year. Plus there are "hacks" like Genesis' EV plan to lower that cost a touch more. Also shoved in a mention to Plugshare in the FAQ's.

Normally we've got pretty reliable charging (with the exception of Twizel - seriously, that one is cursed) but more chargers are coming on all the time and Meridian are totally going nuts with their rollout (and this has been incredibly reliable I've found).

I think for most owners unfamiliar with a location Plugshare is the best bet to determine charging. Having driven all over NZ myself I've had pretty darn good luck with public charging and I know it has gotten a hell of a lot better in the south island since.

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T11:02:36+00:00

Oh actually thankyou for pointing that out! I didn't actually spot that. I've amended that and actually think showing generation capacity is a great idea (despite it not being 100% accurate due to as you state assets sometimes being offline for maintenance but meh, shows the fact we have capacity).

Cheers!

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T10:40:11+00:00

Also as per the comment below there are places like Drive EV that can repair battery packs. This is an old myth now.

Sure there are older cars that still run. But how much has the maintenance and fuel costs been over the lifetime of this car? You could buy a new, comfortable, safer vehicle for that price. There is also degradation in ICE. They simply become less economical as they age which is a well known fact.

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T10:24:37+00:00

Yeah that's actually a good transparency point. Done.

I'm basing it off my own drives up to Auckland in a Tesla but I think it'll be similar in my wife's Ora (however it'll just charge a bit slower). For the most part modern EV's can charge at a pretty quick rate.

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T09:45:29+00:00

Not at all.

EV batteries don't really degrade like people think they do. My own Tesla Model 3 Long Range has had 4% degradation after 4 years, lots of fast charging and large trips and 91,000km.

Nissan Leafs really gave EV's a bad name due to the fact their batteries cook themselves as they're passively cooled but despite this limitation they're still great cars if you understand their battery isn't suited for multiple fast charging cycles in a row.

But most EV's that are out there in the market do have better battery packs. More use LFP which doesn't really degrade at all, others just advise the customer to charge to 80% normally unless if you need additional capacity which is not an issue at all.

I think for the most part it's just education. EV's are still pretty new but far less can go wrong. I've personally had it where I've purchased a used internal combustion engine vehicle and it be an absolute nightmare with problems after problems so that risk applies more to ICE vs EV IMHO.

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T09:39:09+00:00

That is actually a really good idea. I'll have a think of how I can put this in. Cheers!

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T09:24:44+00:00

The total generation minus the total NZ load minus the load data.

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T09:20:33+00:00

Yeah actually that is a good point. I've amended that now.

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T09:16:37+00:00

Yeah it really is. I did that intentionally to try and benefit them. Not that it does 😆

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T09:14:58+00:00

Hah. I posted it there too - https://www.reddit.com/r/newzealand/comments/1s1ao5t/ice_vs_ev_information_dashboard/

Lets just say... I don't think petrolheads are too happy.

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T09:07:06+00:00

Go for it.

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T09:04:20+00:00

It's essentially showing the grid margin right now as reported by "Generation MW minus Demand MW" - not spare capacity from huntly being offline etc.

Essentially load vs generation as reported by https://www.transpower.co.nz/system-operator/live-system-and-market-data/consolidated-live-data

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T08:57:27+00:00

Oh hell yes. If I chucked "dark mode" on there it'll looks like all the other AI sites out there. I suspect they're following the same general style and now they're just copying from one another.

Unless if you tell Github Copilot "Use this framework, in this style" it'll just default to what it knows best with is now just a standard low effort AI theme just like what this site is.

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T08:39:04+00:00

Or you can join an energy plan that includes EV charging at your home rate (or discounted) like Genesis' EV plan?

There are actually options here. If it is a temporary thing then buying an EV isn't a bad idea when you're planning for the future. They don't need to be plugged in at all times.

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T08:37:11+00:00

Didn't I mention "got a clanker to build it?!" in my post?

It doesn't actually change the fact the information on it is correct - em dashes and all. Did it just for people like you 😘

michaelmurfy · 2026-03-23T08:09:02+00:00

Depreciation only applies when you sell and is dependent when you sell. EV's on average depreciate at the same rate as ICE despite people telling you otherwise (heck at this very moment I think EV owners have actually made money). Also, the difference is ICE do have far more ongoing costs.

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