The quick numbers
- Vehicle: LDV eDeliver 9 (72 kWh battery)
- Daily distance: ~170 km (depot near Christchurch Airport, plus a 130-160 km delivery run)
- Previous fuel cost: ~$1,600/month on diesel
- Home charging cost: Virtually free thanks to their solar and battery set up
- Charger: Evnex E2, a smart home EV charger with built-in solar integration
- Total energy delivered: Over 36,000 kWh (as of writing this story, the highest of any Evnex E2 charger in New Zealand)
When Maurice Tua told people he was going to run his courier route in an electric van, the response was unanimous: it'll never work. You'll spend half your day charging. You'll never make it through a full run.
Three years later, his Evnex E2 smart home charger has charged more than any other Evnex E2 in New Zealand: over 36,000 kWh. Thanks to the smarts on their Evnex charger, plus their solar and battery setup, Maurice and his wife Lisa are driving virtually for free.
Evnex designs and manufactures smart EV chargers in Christchurch, New Zealand, and is the largest EV charger manufacturer in Australia and New Zealand.
From diesel to electric
Maurice started couriering in December 2018 with a diesel Toyota Hiace van. The fuel bill averaged around $1,600 a month over three years. Even when diesel prices dipped during COVID, the cost was significant.
When LDV released the eDeliver 9 with a larger 72 kWh battery at the same price as the outgoing 52 kWh model, Maurice saw his window. New Zealand's Clean Car Rebate was still available. He test-drove one and was sold.
Lisa ran the numbers. "We wanted to prove to ourselves that it would actually stack up," she says. The couple run the courier business together, and Lisa handles the books. She's been tracking every charge session since they got the van: when Maurice plugs in, when the battery reaches full, when he unplugs in the morning, and every cent spent on the occasional public charger top-up.
The verdict, backed by three years of data: it stacks up.
How the daily routine works
Maurice leaves the house around 6 AM. The van is fully charged from overnight. His depot is near Christchurch Airport, about 18 km from Kaiapoi. The delivery run covers 130 to 160 km depending on the day, bringing his total to roughly 170 km door to door.
Most days he gets home with 60 to 90 km of range left. He plugs in, and the E2 handles the rest overnight.
"There's no downtime during the day," Lisa says. "That was the thing everyone warned us about, and it just hasn't been an issue. You plug in when you get home, you wake up to a full battery. That's it."
For a courier, time off the road to charge is money lost. For the Tuas, having a reliable home charger that can reliably charge their van overnight means that almost never happens. "It's just an absolute godsend not having to stop during the day and charge," added Lisa.
Very occasionally, if a run goes long or winter bites hard, Maurice will stop at a public charger for ten minutes on the way home. Those months cost $10 to $20 in public charging at most. But for the vast majority of his working days, the overnight charge at home is all he needs.
How solar and battery home EV charging works day to day
The Tuas have solar panels and a home battery along with a great overnight tariff that they tap into on the occasion when their home battery has been emptied. During the day, the solar fills the battery. Overnight, the battery powers the majority of their charge.
The result: they're charging their courier van almost entirely on sunshine. From $1,600 a month on diesel to charging virtually for free.
Why Evnex
Lisa came to Evnex through a recommendation from LDV, but she did her own homework too.
"I like supporting New Zealand companies," she says. Lisa spent years working in manufacturing and knows firsthand what happens when production moves offshore. The fact that Evnex designs and builds its chargers locally, in Christchurch, mattered to her.
The buying experience sealed it. "The whole process was seamless from the start," Lisa says. "The communication, the install, everything. We wouldn't go anywhere else."
Evnex managed the full installation. The installers understood the existing solar system, recommended the best wiring position, and gave Lisa the confidence she was after.
"A lot of people worry about getting the install wrong, especially with solar involved," she says. "Thanks to the team at Evnex, we had complete confidence in the process from day one."
The Evnex app has become a practical business tool, too. Lisa uses it to split energy usage between the van and the house each month, making it simple to itemise costs for the IRD.
Reliability that speaks for itself
Their neighbours have had ongoing issues with a different branded charger. Lisa can't help but compare.
"Our Evnex charger has been 100% reliable from the get-go," she says. "When your neighbours are having problems with theirs, and yours hasn't missed a beat in three years, the difference is chalk and cheese."
Evnex's biggest fans
Lisa is a regular voice across EV Facebook communities, sharing her experience with anyone who asks about home charging. She knows the switch can feel overwhelming.
"There's so much information out there, and a lot of people are genuinely scared about getting it wrong," she says. "If I can save someone the stress by telling them what's worked for us, why wouldn't I?"
Maurice puts it simply: "If someone asks your opinion, you give it to them honestly. We've had a great experience, so that's what we tell people."
The advocacy is entirely organic. Just two people who backed an EV when others said it wouldn't work, paired it with a home charger that's now delivered more energy than any other E2 in New Zealand.
What Lisa would tell you
If you're on the fence about switching to an EV for work, or wondering whether home charging can handle a demanding daily route, Lisa's answer is short.
"It's plug in and go. Every single day. The numbers speak for themselves."
