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Art and Matilda Green hadn’t had much experience driving electric vehicles until this year – but since getting behind the wheel of their new-to-New Zealand electrified vehicles from Geely, they say they’d never go back.
The couple famously met 11 years ago on the first New Zealand series of The Bachelor, and are now parents to Milo, 6, Autumn, 4, Penelope, 2, and rescue Jack Russell Buster, 15. Between school and preschool runs, Matilda’s podcasting and content gigs, Art’s DIY projects and weekend beach missions, their two new cars – the super-hybrid Geely Starray EM-i and the fully electric Geely Riddara RD6 ute – have slotted seamlessly into their routine.
For Matilda, the Starray EM-i, with 943km of combined range, has made the daily juggle feel easier.
“Zipping around town is so simple,” she says. “It looks like a tidy little hatchback, but we can fit three car seats across the back, there’s heaps of boot space, and the cameras are incredible for parking and backing. I haven’t driven a car with this much tech before.”
She’s also big on the Starray EM-i’s safety features, including automatic locking and occupant detection – with an alert that pops up if a child or pet is accidentally left in the car.
Art, meanwhile, has been putting the Riddara through its paces while filming DIY content and renovating the family’s Warkworth home. With up to 360km of electric range, a 3000kg tow rating and 315kW of power, it’s been a game-changer, he says.
“When I was renovating the garage, I needed a ute-load and a trailer-load of materials. The Riddara’s towing capacity is awesome – I can pretty much do anything.”
The kids are fans too. One evening, after spending time playing in the tray, they refused to get out – so dinner was served right there in the driveway.
When it comes to weekend adventures, the Riddara has made getting out the door faster than ever.
“It never ceases to amaze me how we can just go straight to the beach,” says Matilda. “There’s no Tetris – we just chuck it all in and go. It’s the same for trips to the park with the bikes.”
The family can be out the door in minutes, travelling to their favourite local spots – Omaha, Tawharanui and Scotts Landing.
“We spend a lot of time at Omaha because it’s close,” says Matilda. “Sometimes we’ll drop the older two off and Penny and I will sneak away for a little beach time. As a family, we love Tawharanui. The kids climb the rocks and explore the rockpools… we spend a lot of time in summer there.”
Because the Riddara is fully electric, the Greens tend to use it for longer trips into the city or weekend outings. For the everyday school-and-preschool shuffle, the Starray EM-i’s super-hybrid capacity is ideal, with 83km of electric range.
“Most days I don’t touch the petrol at all,” says Matilda. “For pickups, drop-offs and errands I use electric, which is really handy.”
The couple installed an EVNEX charger in their garage and alternate nights with each car, taking advantage of cheaper off-peak power. Although it took a few days to get used to plugging in, now it’s second nature, saving them the time it takes to pull into a petrol station.
On the rare occasions they’ve needed to charge on the road, they’ve never struggled to find a ChargeNet station, says Matilda: “We plug in, grab a coffee, come back and we’re good to go.”
While the Riddara turns heads for its quiet power, it also attracts attention for being the first fully electric ute of its kind in New Zealand. Matilda discovered this firsthand when she took it to a hardware store for Art.
“He warned me the ute might get a bit of attention,” she laughs. “That’s exactly what happened. A couple of workers came over asking what it ran on. Next thing I knew, I was out in the staff carpark getting a full tour of someone’s ute setup and tips on bungee cords.”
Despite the shift to electric, Art hasn’t missed the grunt noise of his new engine.
“Not one bit. I like rocking up and mine’s silent,” he says. “Driving in traffic, it has great takeoff speed – being able to pull out from an intersection quickly means you can make gaps you wouldn’t normally in a traditional diesel ute.”
For the Greens, the shift to electric has meant greater ease and convenience – plus the huge bonus of battery power being more affordable than filling a petrol tank.
“We’re definitely saving heaps,” says Art.
Matilda agrees. “We come home and charge the cars as soon as we come in, so we’ve probably also saved a lot of time... EVs really are super efficient. We’re loving EV life.”
Discover the new electric Geely Riddara RD6 and the super-hybrid Geely Starray EM-i at www.geely.nz