I assume people saw the release in the last few days of details on Toyota's mid-sized EV SUV, the weirdly named bZ4X.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/126828308/toyota-reveals-production-electric-suv

In relation to the model that may qualify for the < $80k rebate:

The 1920kg entry-level variant fitted with a 150kW front-mounted electric motor for front-wheel drive (FWD), which helps it sprint from a standstill to 100km/h in 8.4 seconds... Both the FWD and AWD are fitted with a 71.4kWh lithium-ion battery that delivers an estimated range of 460km and 500km respectively on the WLTC (WLTP) combined-cycle test."

It'll be interesting to see pricing and release date; that said, I'm not sure if there's enough about this car (especially without knowing price and timing) that would put me off the Model Y, should Tesla release a rebate-friendly version here. (I'm more than ever convinced of selecting the Y over the Ioniq 5 or EV6 on their relative boot space - apparently 530 l in the EV6 vs 850 l in the Y [that sounds overly generous, but the consensus seems to be it has the largest storage capacity of the three]).

Model Y SR will be 60kwh and a similar 455km range (wltp) and do 0-100 in 5.6s, RWD, get OTA updates not charge via a damp string and there will be more than 4 examples for sale

and man that yoke thing looks ugly

This was announced early:

Factorial’s solid-state technology advances are based on FEST (Factorial Electrolyte System Technology), which leverages a proprietary solid electrolyte material that enables safe and reliable cell performance with high-voltage and high-capacity electrodes and has been scaled in 40Ah cells that perform at room temperature.

Hyundai Group partnering with them. 40Ah is a big cell, apparently they facilitate an est. 20% - 50% improvement in range so these don't seem to be too fantastical in terms of what they are suggesting is possible.

kingdragonfly: Nikkei: BYD to Raise Battery Price 20% as Lithium Costs Soar

Chinese electric vehicle and battery maker BYD will increase the price of battery products by at least 20% effective Nov. 1, the company said on Monday in a letter to clients.

The move is further evidence that inflation is hitting producers and subsequently consumers. The costs of raw materials to manufacture lithium batteries has soared this year as a result of surging demand for EVs and China's energy crunch.

Prices of lithium cobalt oxide for cathode materials -- key to producing EV batteries -- more than tripled since December, while the price of electrolytes rose by more than 150%, leading to a significant increase in BYD's costs, the company said.
...

tbh nickel is more relevant, theres not much lithium used in a battery 

Tesla opens superchargers to any EV in the Netherlands.

https://www.tesla.com/support/non-tesla-supercharging

RunningMan:

 

Tesla opens superchargers to any EV in the Netherlands.

 

https://www.tesla.com/support/non-tesla-supercharging

 

Its only 10 sites thou.... but its a toe in the water.  

The other shoe to drop is the price for non tesla owners, its appears to be variable, but it reported as .57 Euro, or 90c NZD per KWh... 

But when you need to charge you need to charge....

https://www.electrive.com/2021/11/01/tesla-opens-charging-for-third-parties-in-the-netherlands/

Supercharging prices are variable for tesla owners also. 

lets hope they keep an eye on use and build the network out to cope with the extra use.

Some kiwi SC sites are already quite busy.

Gee, I'd love to have $43K I could just throw away on a gamble. I wonder if he wants to buy me a new car? I promise I'll let him drive it.

*Promise may not be kept.

wellygary:

 

Its only 10 sites thou.... but its a toe in the water.  

 

The other shoe to drop is the price for non tesla owners, its appears to be variable, but it reported as .57 Euro, or 90c NZD per KWh... 

 

But when you need to charge you need to charge....

 

https://www.electrive.com/2021/11/01/tesla-opens-charging-for-third-parties-in-the-netherlands/

 

 

 

If you're a frequent user, then there is also a subscription model that unlocks lower charge costs.

The government giveth with one hand and take back some with the other hand 

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/kiwis%E2%80%99-views-sought-plan-deal-used-tyres-and-large-batteries

"Our plan will see manufacturers, sellers and users taking responsibility for ensuring old tyres and large batteries don’t end up in landfills or the environment,” Environment Minister David Parker said. The plan proposes a “product stewardship fee” charged at the time of purchase to cover collection and recycling at the end of a product’s life."

"For example on a new $62,000 Nissan Leaf, which attracts an EV subsidy of about $8000, the battery fee to the importer would be just over $200."

Their leaf battery estimation is a bit out of date but the pricing scheme estimates a 24Kwh battery would be $205 and a 75Kwh battery would be $305