Electric Vehicle Rental | Budget Car Rental

Spark something different on your next trip

Hit the road with Budget and ditch the ordinary! Cruise into your next adventure with a slick, new electric vehicle (EV) and get ready to experience New Zealand like never before.

Introducing Budget Electric Vehicles

Budget’s electric fleet is made up of exciting cars with the latest technology and fast charge capability. Fully charged, our EVs have a driving range of up to 450 kilometres. Don’t let range anxiety stop you from adding a spark of excitement to your next trip. 

Get to the Good Stuff in an EV

Make the drive just as exciting as the destination with an EV. Book online with Budget and spark something different on your next adventure.

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Why driving an EV is good stuff

More fuel for the fun stuff

Wave goodbye to lines at petrol stations and ditch the worries around petrol prices. EVs fuel savings can be significant and with a well-planned journey, you’ll never need to stop for fuel. 

Quiet comfort

We can’t promise the kids in the back seat will be quiet, but electric vehicles run almost silently, particularly at low speed. For most makes and models, the loudest noise the EV will make is a low hum that is artificially introduced for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.

A better driving experience

From regenerative breaking, improved handling and faster acceleration there are a bunch of features that electric engines have that can make the driving experience a little bit nicer in an EV. 

Handy tips for driving an EV

For most holidays an EV will have more than enough charge for your journey. The average New Zealander drives around 27km a day, while most EVs have a range above 400km. For longer drives a little planning can go a long way. Both Apple and Google Maps can be great tools f or finding charging stations. Some charging stations require you to have an account with the provider we recommend planning and downloading ahead. Head to our EV charging page for more information on helpful charging providers and where to download their apps.
  

Frequently Asked Questions about EVs

Most electric vehicles operate in a similar fashion to petrol vehicles, but this can vary between models. We recommend that you familiarise yourself with our quick start guides before collecting your vehicle.

We do not offer training, but we do have quick start guides for each of our EV models. Select your vehicle above to access the guides.

Estimated driving range for our electric vehicles is 300kms on 80% charge.

As with an internal combustion engine, driving range will vary. The most common reasons for variance are:

  • Quick acceleration and fast driving
  • The use of heating and air conditioning
  • External conditions (e.g. cold or warm weather)

Your EV display screen will show you specific information related to battery charge and driving range.

Constant recharging shortens the life span and driving range of the battery. There's no need to charge to full capacity consistently, unless you need to rely on the entire driving range of your vehicle.

Staying between 20% and 80% battery capacity will leave you with plenty of driving miles and be gentle on the battery.

There are many free and paid charging stations located across New Zealand. To find your closest charging station or to plan ahead, please refer to our charging your EV on the road page.

The time it takes to charge your EV will depend on how many kW you want, and what type of connection. The following table can be used as a guide:

Charger Type Use Charging Time Power
Portable three-pin charging cable For private owners, used in the home or as a back-up while on the road Trickle AC charge: 12-14 hours AC 1.75kW
Wall charger

Fast charging in the home

Business fleet charging

 Fast AC charge: 4 hours AC: 7-22kW
Public charger For public use

Fast AC charge: 4 hours

Rapid DC Charge: 45 mins

AC: 7-22kW

DC: 50kW+

There are many free and paid charging stations available in New Zealand. Most paid stations charge a fee based on kWH usage, charging time or percentage of battery charged. Just as petrol prices fluctuate, charging fees vary from station to station. For more information on EV charging, please refer to our charging your EV page.

Customers must return the vehicle with at least 75% charge or incur a recharge fee.

The time it takes to charge an electric vehicle from 80-100% can exceed the time to charge from 20-80%, therefore to improve charge efficiency we have set the max charge to 80%.

If you run out of charge while you're on the road, please call Roadside Assistance on 0800 652 847.

As with an internal combustion engine, environmental conditions and driving style can impact the driving range. Your EV display screen will show you specific information related to battery charge and driving range.

Please contact Roadside Assistance on 0800 652 847.