Small EVs in NZ
Every compact EV sold in New Zealand on one page, ordered by length, with the battery, the rated range and what each one is like to own. Under each sits the live used market on Electric Dreams: how many are for sale, the cheapest one and what sellers are asking. Refreshed every hour.
Peugeot e-208
4.05 m long · 7 live
197
8 of 21 models have a listing
$3,990
2011 Nissan Leaf · 43,732 km
Kia EV3
605 km WLTP, 81 kWh
Size, range, price
Length and rated range are the manufacturer’s figures by variant. Live, From and Median are the used market on Electric Dreams right now; “From” links to the cheapest car of that model, and the median shows once 3 or more listings back it.
| Model | Class | Length | Battery | Rated range | Live | From | Median asking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nissan Sakura | City car | 3.40 m | 20 kWh | 180 km (WLTC) | None listed · alert | ||
Car by car
Smallest first. The live line under each is the used market on Electric Dreams right now.
A Japanese kei car, now arriving as a used import. The smallest EV you can buy here, cheap to own and easy to park anywhere; strictly a town car.
None for sale on Electric Dreams right now. Get an alert when one lists.
The original cheap EV. Tiny pack, tiny range, tiny price. A second car for the school run and not much else.
None for sale on Electric Dreams right now. Get an alert when one lists.
Style first, and a bigger battery than its size suggests, so it goes further than most city cars. Rear seats are for bags.
None for sale on Electric Dreams right now. Get an alert when one lists.
A Mini Cooper hatch with an electric motor: short range, sharp handling, premium cabin, and it holds its value better than most small EVs.
Common questions
The Nissan Sakura, at 3.40 m long. Kei cars from Japan (the Nissan Sakura and the older Mitsubishi i-MiEV) are the smallest EVs you can register here, followed by the Fiat 500e and the Mini Electric. All four are city cars first: short range, tiny footprint, cheap to run.
For most people the Peugeot e-208: NZ-new, well made, a real 250 km in winter, and usually the cheapest modern small EV on the used market. The MG4 is the value pick a size up, the Kona Electric 64 kWh is the one for range, and if you want the smallest car with a proper battery, the Fiat 500e. The Leaf is the biggest car on this page but the deepest supply.
Right now the cheapest small EV on Electric Dreams is a 2011 Nissan Leaf · 43,732 km asking $3,990. Older Leafs and kei imports sit at the bottom of the market, NZ-new superminis like the e-208 and hatches like the MG4 in the twenties and low thirties, and the newest small SUVs above that. For the budget end in full, see the cheapest electric cars in NZ right now; for the case for each car, the best second hand electric cars in NZ.
For daily driving, yes: the average NZ commute is well inside even a kei car’s range, and a 40 kWh or bigger pack handles a week on one or two charges. For regular open-road trips between towns, look for 50 kWh and up (e-208, MG4, Dolphin, Kona 64 kWh) and check the fast-charging standard: CCS on the European and Chinese cars, CHAdeMO on the Leaf and the kei imports.
Sizes and rated ranges are static manufacturer figures; the listing counts and prices are computed from live Electric Dreams listings and refresh every hour. Start from for every guide and index, or see on the EV Market Index.
The model list, lengths, pack sizes and rated ranges are static manufacturer figures by variant, rounded, with the test cycle named; they are not measured from listings, and real-world range is lower, especially in winter. Everything else is computed from the 276 active EV listings on Electric Dreams and refreshes hourly. Prices are asking prices, not sale prices; medians, not means, and only published where 3 or more listings back them. Listings asking under $2,000 are treated as placeholder prices and left out. Battery health is as reported by sellers, used only where it falls between 40 and 100 percent and only published at 3 or more. Arriving-soon dealer stock is included and badged. A model with no live listing stays in the table with a price-alert link. Sold and withdrawn cars are excluded: this is a snapshot of what’s listed on Electric Dreams, not the whole NZ market.
Every EV on Electric Dreams carries battery health and range on the card. Shortlist from the table, then compare the live listings side by side.
| City car |
| 3.48 m |
| 16 kWh |
| About 100 km real-world |
| None listed · alert |
| Fiat 500e | City car | 3.63 m | 42 kWh | 320 km (WLTP) | None listed · alert | ||
| Mini Electric | City car | 3.85 m | 32.6 kWh | 233 km (WLTP) | None listed · alert | ||
| Honda E | City car | 3.89 m | 35.5 kWh | 220 km (WLTP) | None listed · alert | ||
| BMW i3 | Supermini | 4.01 m | 22, 33 or 42 kWh | Up to 310 km (WLTP, 42 kWh) | None listed · alert | ||
| Peugeot e-208 | Supermini | 4.05 m | 50 kWh | 362 km (WLTP) | 7 | $23,990 | $26,880 |
| Renault Zoe | Supermini | 4.08 m | 41 or 52 kWh | 300 to 395 km (WLTP) | 1 | $14,990 | — |
| Hyundai Kona Electric | Small SUV | 4.18 m | 39 or 64 kWh | 305 or 484 km (WLTP) | 1 | $40,880 | — |
| Volvo EX30 | Small SUV | 4.23 m | 51 or 69 kWh | 344 or 476 km (WLTP) | 3 | $48,880 | $49,930 |
| GWM ORA Good Cat | Small hatch | 4.24 m | 48 or 63 kWh | 310 to 420 km (WLTP) | None listed · alert | ||
| Volkswagen e-Golf | Small hatch | 4.27 m | 35.8 kWh | 231 km (WLTP) | None listed · alert | ||
| MG MG4 | Small hatch | 4.29 m | 51 or 64 kWh | 350 or 450 km (WLTP) | None listed · alert | ||
| BYD Dolphin | Small hatch | 4.29 m | 44.9 or 60 kWh | 340 or 427 km (WLTP) | 1 | $36,995 | — |
| Kia EV3 | Small SUV | 4.30 m | 58 or 81 kWh | 436 or 605 km (WLTP) | None listed · alert | ||
| Peugeot e-2008 | Small SUV | 4.30 m | 50 kWh | 345 km (WLTP) | 8 | $25,930Arriving | $27,180 |
| Cupra Born | Small hatch | 4.32 m | 58 kWh | 420 km (WLTP) | None listed · alert | ||
| MG ZS EV | Small SUV | 4.32 m | 44.5 or 51 kWh | 263 or 320 km (WLTP) | None listed · alert | ||
| BYD Atto 3 | Small SUV | 4.46 m | 60 kWh | 420 km (WLTP) | 6 | $33,995 | $36,995 |
| Hyundai IONIQ | Small hatch | 4.47 m | 28 or 38 kWh | 200 or 311 km (WLTP) | None listed · alert | ||
| Nissan Leaf | Small hatch | 4.49 m | 24, 30, 40 or 62 kWh | Up to 385 km (WLTP, 62 kWh) | 170 | $3,990 | $20,990 |
None for sale on Electric Dreams right now. Get an alert when one lists.
A design piece with a screen-wide dashboard and camera mirrors. Short range; rare here, so prices follow the handful listed.
None for sale on Electric Dreams right now. Get an alert when one lists.
Carbon-fibre body, rear-hinged back doors, and some cars carry a small petrol range extender. Light, quirky and cheap to run; check BEV or REx.
None for sale on Electric Dreams right now. Get an alert when one lists.
The best all-round small EV for most people: NZ-new, well finished, a proper five-door supermini with a real-world 250 km plus.
7 live (2020–2023) · from $23,990 · median asking $26,880 · all listings
A roomy supermini with a bigger pack than its rivals of the era. Rare on the NZ used market.
1 live (2017) · from $14,990 · all listings
The first-generation Kona is a small SUV in footprint, and the 64 kWh car has the longest real-world range on this page. The 2023 second generation is longer.
1 live (2023) · from $40,880 · all listings
Volvo's smallest car, sold new from 2024. Quick, minimalist inside, and early used examples are near-new at a discount.
3 live (2024) · from $48,880 · median asking $49,930 · all listings
Retro-styled Chinese hatch with a generous cabin for its length. Cheap new, cheaper used.
None for sale on Electric Dreams right now. Get an alert when one lists.
A Golf that happens to be electric. Modest range, excellent build; the sensible choice if you want an EV that doesn't announce itself.
None for sale on Electric Dreams right now. Get an alert when one lists.
Rear-wheel drive, modern platform, the lowest price of any new-generation small hatch. The best value on this page if you can live with the software.
None for sale on Electric Dreams right now. Get an alert when one lists.
A hatch on the same LFP battery tech as the Atto 3, so daily charging to 100 percent is fine. Roomy for its length.
1 live (2024) · from $36,995 · all listings
Kia's small SUV on the new 400-volt platform, sold new from 2025. The longest rated range of any small EV; used examples are still few.
None for sale on Electric Dreams right now. Get an alert when one lists.
The e-208 with a higher seat and a bigger boot on the same hardware. Pay a little more for the practicality.
8 live (2020–2024) · from $25,930 · median asking $27,180 · all listings
A rear-wheel-drive hot hatch on the Volkswagen ID.3 platform. The driver's choice at this size.
None for sale on Electric Dreams right now. Get an alert when one lists.
A conventional small SUV and often the cheapest NZ-new EV of its year. Simple and roomy; the 2022 facelift added the bigger pack.
None for sale on Electric Dreams right now. Get an alert when one lists.
The upper edge of small: a compact SUV with family-car space inside and the LFP Blade battery. Deep used supply from 2022 on.
6 live (2023) · from $33,995 · median asking $36,995 · all listings
A liftback rather than a hatch, and the most efficient car here, so its small pack goes further than the number suggests. Buy the 2020-on 38 kWh.
None for sale on Electric Dreams right now. Get an alert when one lists.
The biggest car on this page and the one most people mean by a small EV. Deep supply, low prices, and the Leaf Index shows what each generation is worth.
170 live (2011–2024) · from $3,990 · median asking $20,990 · battery health 88% (n=160) · all listings
