A New Era of Utes for NZ?
(Overseas there are Millions of them)
Most of the traditional UTES in NZ are designed to be used off road with a back tray to carry goods and a cab to carry several adults. They all cost $50,0000 and more. They can also be used on road, but this work could be done just as well and just as comfortable with a car plus trailer which can then also be used as the family car (minus the trailer).
“When I visited China last November, I was amazed to see the millions of small Ute’s on the roads and the complete absence of the large Utes that are so prominent in NZ. These were also being used by millions of retailers as mobile coffee and food vendors set up along pedestrian areas with covered areas and seating. Many others were used for selling merchandise of every description. Rounding up rubbish was also a common use as was acting as taxis. Their speed limit was a maximum of 50kmph. It struck me that this all created a lot of employment with low overheads, no CO2 emissions, no bosses, and self-motivation to succeed without government interference—all things NZ is struggling with!
“They are generally called Tricycles as they have 3 wheels, but many have tip decks that can carry a tonne—more than all the bulky NZ UTEs.
“I saw also that these could be used off road in NZ to work on lifestyle blocks, orchards and vineyards, around resorts and golf courses and almost anywhere that was reasonably flat. They are very stable and have evolved over many hundreds of years, mainly in Asia.
“I felt that with help from enterprising NZers The Electric Motor Vehicle company Ltd could play a role in developing a market in NZ and maybe even on road in our towns and cities “concluded Mr Alex de Boer CEO.
“I spent some time searching for the best manufacturer and found the right one who manufactures every part in house, even the curved glass windscreens for the cabs. They manufacture over 1 million per year in 18 provinces with 9000 staff. It is a very basic and simple vehicle built to do a job. The beauty of this is that there is very little that can go wrong and they are easy to repair. The simplicity also means that they are not expensive – there is no noisy petrol motor to maintain and savings in petrol alone would give a payback in under 2 years. They are made of steel and could be easily modified to suit any particular use. We have now received our first small shipment for further evaluation—we welcome ideas “says Mr de Boer.
For more details see the advertisement attached to this article. There will also be one on display at our stand at the home show Augusr 2026.
