CLEAN CARS FOR $25K

We go shopping for the best rebate-friendly used-import BEV, PHEV and HEV

Yesterday the Government’s Clean Car Discount kicked in for new BEVs, PHEVs and HEVs, but what about used? Of course, the rebate still applies to used cars for first-timeregistered vehicles, up to

$3450 for a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV).

So we thought we’d scour DRIVEN.co.nz to see what we could find.

With a theoretical $25,000 in hand, a budget not made easy by the high global demand pushing up used car prices, we’ve each come up with a typical example or sample of what’s available to buy, in our preferred BEV, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) and Hybrid

Electrified Vehicle (HEV) specs.

Dean: 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

Mitsubishi’s Outlander and Eclipse Cross PHEV siblings are both super popular, but with half the budget, an older version is great value at half the price. This 2014 Premium Package version with 150,000km offers 4WD, a bodykit, heated seats and paddle shifts from an Evo X, power front seats, reversing camera, smart key and sunroof. And not just is it $24,950, but with a used PHEV Clean Car Discount of $2300, that’s a lot of SUV for $22,650.

David: 2016 Nissan Leaf 30X

Other models are available of course, but to any rational thinker a budget used Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) means a Nissan Leaf and that’s that.

Used-import Leafs account for most of New Zealand’s BEV fleet and that’s where you get the most choice.

The later models look a lot sharper than the jellymould original, especially in the right colour.

I found this 2016 facelift 30X model with the upgraded 30kWh battery and factory “Leaf G” alloys, in black, for $23,380.

It’s fully loaded with everything from Lane Departure Warning to heated seats and it’s had a full English dash cluster conversion.

It’s done just 50,000km and dealer GVI is offering a 12-month battery warranty (current SoH 76 per cent) with a NZ-certified portable charging cable for home use, so you can’t go wrong — especially with a Clean Car Discount of $3450, making the “real” price $19,930.

Less than $20k, and you never have to pay for petrol again.

Andrew: 2018 Toyota Aqua S

When looking for a hybrid under $25,000, over 2000 listings met the criteria, but this little purple number caught my eye.

This 2018 Toyota Aqua S has covered just 90,580km and looks fantastic sitting on those 18-inch wheels. Though I can’t imagine that these big wheels do the fuel economy of 3.8l/100km any good, it’s still a very impressive figure that will mean a lot of savings at the pump. Optional extras are few and far between here, but I do enjoy the contrast between the big body kit and plain black interior.

It’s listed at $22,370, but a rebate of $1676 is available, meaning the bottom line will be $20,694.