Consumers can't buy electric utes in New Zealand, but they remain a popular and useful vehicle.

How can we get around this? James Hardisty, a farmer turned electrician, may have found a solution to the puzzle by developing his own.

James Hardisty has converted a 1983 Toyota Hilux into an EV, and he talked us through how he constructed and developed this ute.

Despite costing him $80,00 to finish, he believes converting utes into EV's is a viable option, given how many we currently have in the country. 

LISTEN ABOVE

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• Utes and SUV's top cars sold in July; EV's also experiencing increase
• Govt is looking at whether it should clamp down on ute drivers shirking tax
• 'Lack of evidence:' Govt ignored initial Treasury warnings over ute tax