Looks like following Countdown pulling out, AA SmartFuel is shutting down.
I also got an email from Countdown:
Everyday Rewards is coming 1 February 2024
We are launching a new loyalty programme early next year that will replace Onecard and we’re proud to announce bp as our foundation partner.
Sounds like without BP and Contdown, AA SmartFuel aren’t able to continue.
We worked out just for dropping off and picking up kids from school (we live rurally) that it was $1800/year in our Santa Fe vs $200/year in our Leaf if we used grid power to run it. As it turns out our small solar system (3kw) is enough to keep it charged most of the year. RUCs will obviously add to that but still a saving. Plus I like not giving money to some of those tinpot oil exporters or killing the environment for the kids.
That’s great! A second hand leaf is a nice budget-ish way of using less petrol, but when it comes to getting a long range EV finances definitely come into it, and I doubt it adds up anymore for most people.
Agreed. Our leaf was $16500 after rebate, and at 40kwh has about 240km of range. More would be nice as that puts the nearer major centres just in range return without charging but with little margin left. Fast chargers obviously make those longer range trips more viable though.
I do recall seeing data saying something like (making up a number here) 97% of trips were under 100km but I know people feel anxiety for those few longer trips. Once you get into the routine over charging at night as needed (or in the day with solar in our case) it’s not much of an issue I find but definitely a learning experience.
We bought our leaf as a second car. It was bought to replace a car that never went further than the train station or supermarket. In the end we got one that now has about 130km range on a charge. We now use it for almost all our driving. It gets us anywhere in the Wellington area and home again.
Our petrol car is only used for long trips now. But I’d love an EV that could go 400km without fast charging to 80% five times, I just don’t want to pay a house deposit to save a few hundred in petrol a year.