Australians reassess EVs amid rising fuel prices

Is electric vehicle finance surging? NAB has recorded soaring enquiries, but brokers on the ground report a mixed picture. Full story: https://bit.ly/411gjSc #electricvehicle #vehiclefinance #fuel #technology #broker

The Government is providing $52.7 million in interest-free loans to support the rollout of public EV chargers. Drive Electric welcomes the investment and congratulates Meridian Energy and ChargeNet - EV Charging Solutions on their role in delivering the charges. In 2023, Prime Minister Luxon confirmed his Government's $257 million commitment over four years, with a goal of 10,000 chargers by 2030. Today, EECA’s Public EV Charger Dashboard shows there are 1,466 operational public charge points across Aotearoa New Zealand. As Drive Electric Chair Kirsten Corson noted in an interview with RNZ, infrastructure and uptake must move together. Right now, Aotearoa is still: ❗ Falling behind comparable countries on EV uptake ❗Heavily reliant on imported fossil fuels ❗Missing the full economic opportunity of electrification The opportunity is clear. The average household spends $3,000–$4,000 a year on fuel. That could drop to around $1,000 with an EV. We have the energy. We have the technology. Now we need to move faster. Read more from RNZ: https://lnkd.in/etcz6m56

EV loan enquiries doubled for households and jumped 88% for businesses since early March 2026 (according to NAB data). Used EV searches rose 278% since late February. This shift comes from fuel crisis pricing rather than climate policy, bringing EV consideration into the mainstream as Australians seek cost certainty against volatile petrol prices tied to Middle East conflict At the same time however, Treasury is modelling a national EV road user charge and reduced FBT benefits for EV purchasers. Will policy catch up to this crisis-driven demand shift, or does a shift in the other direction risk slowing EV momentum? #EVs #FuelCrisis #AutomotiveFinance

It's good to see a slight shift in messaging, but this morning’s announcement from the New Zealand National government’s “$50m plan” for public EV chargers is little more than a photo opportunity and a watered-down re-announcement of an election promise that National has already underdelivered on. The good: ✅ Chris Bishop acknowledging that the government has an important role to play in accelerating electrification ✅ Removal of red tape from the consent process to install rapid EV chargers ✅ Simon Watts – “Owning an EV makes strong economic sense”, and “EVs produce 60% less lifecycle emissions than petrol vehicles" ✅ Nicola Willis – “Reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels makes economic sense” The bad: ❌ Massively underdelivering on the existing promise and blaming it on a lack of consumer demand ❌ Chris Bishop – “You’re asking farmers and tradies to subsidise people to buy Teslas” It's disappointing to see the narrative continuing that EVs are a toy for wealthy people to putt around the city in — the market has moved, and there are compelling and reliable options for the vast majority of use cases in NZ now (including some farmers and a lot of tradies). The National government has played a significant role in eroding consumer confidence in electrification over the past couple of years. I hope this is the first step of many to correct that. https://lnkd.in/e6ZnR4vd

Aotearoa’s public EV charging network is back in the spotlight. For EV uptake to continue growing across private drivers and commercial fleets, charging infrastructure needs to scale at pace. Public charging availability is still a key consideration for many people assessing the shift to electric, particularly outside major centres - we’ve seen it firsthand with our own team when we started the transition to a BEV fleet. The number of chargers, reliability, location and the ability to meet growing demand over time will be critical. A well‑planned network matters as much as the total units installed. From an industry perspective, we are happy that interest in EV charging solutions continues to grow across a wide range of use cases, from destination charging through to high‑powered DC fast charging, and the product offering is ready to support all these scenarios. Infrastructure investment will play a central role in shaping how quickly the market can respond. https://lnkd.in/epvqjny2

GT Capital's profit rises to P33.7B on bank, auto contributions TY-LED Group GT Capital Holdings, Inc. reported a 17% increase in its 2025 net income to P33.68 billion, driven by contributions from Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company (Metrobank) and Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP). "The group's performance in 2025 underlines the strength and resilience of our portfolio as we navigate a complex and evolving political and economic landscape," GT Capital President Carmelo Maria Luza Bautista said in a statement Thursday....

Private credit providers are fielding increasing inquiries from US investor-owned electric utilities as the industry prepares to spend record amounts of capital. But while those lenders describe a rising demand for more tailored and flexible terms, not all types of utility assets may be well-suited for private markets. My latest:

C-PACE financing continues to gain momentum across the country as adoption grows across the commercial real estate sector. This article from The Crittenden Report highlights how Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy financing has moved from a niche tool to a mainstream part of commercial real estate capital stacks. In Pennsylvania, PA C-PACE helps commercial, industrial and agricultural property owners access long-term financing for energy efficiency, renewable energy, water conservation, resiliency and indoor air quality improvements. Learn more about the growing national momentum below. #PACPACE #CommercialRealEstate #EnergyEfficiency #EnergyFinance #Pennsylvania https://lnkd.in/eTwnPkYs

I was told loans are the superior product. Then I watched the superior product bankrupt 100 companies. Every solar veteran told me the same thing: "Loans are better for the homeowner." "Ownership is always superior to leasing." "PPAs are just a backup option." I saw: → Mosaic shut down solar loan originations (400+ EPCs lost their primary lender overnight.) → Goodleap tightened DTI requirements (40% rejection rate became 60%.) → Dividend Finance reduced dealer fee advances (cash flow collapsed for 200+ installers.) The "superior product" killed more solar companies than NEM 3.0, tariffs, and market saturation combined. Meanwhile, TPO focused EPCs in the same markets: • Closed fewer deals. • 85% conversion rate. • M1/M2 funded in 15 days. • Zero DTI rejections. • Still operating. Still profitable. The superior product should create superior outcomes. Bankruptcy isn't a superior outcome. P.S. This post might raig bait the loan defenders. And before you start exploding my comments, my question for you is: If loans are superior, why did 100+ loan-dependent EPCs shut down in 2024-2025? While TPO focused EPCs in the same markets scaled?

The number of electric vehicle (EV) public chargers around New Zealand will more than double thanks to $52.7 million in zero-interest loans from the Government and co-investment from ChargeNet and Meridian.