CleanTech Bites

Jacinda Ardern to get all-electric Audi e-tron to replace diesel fleet car

Published by

The Driven

New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern will soon be riding in a clean and green Audi-e-tron electric car, which will replace the government’s standard diesel BMW 7 series vehicles, according to new reports.

The newly re-elected Labour PM already owns an all-electric Hyundai Ioniq as her personal vehicle, but there is now confirmation that one of a number of e-trons ordered by the NZ government is being decked out for a toddler, for use in Ardern’s home town.

Ardern was the first sitting world leader to give birth since Benazir Bhutto in 1990, and famously made history taking baby Neve with her when attending the United Nations general assembly meeting in 2018.

Now, a report from Motoring NZ shares that one of the vehicle being prepared for the NZ government ministerial fleet in Auckland has been checked out for suitability for the addition of a child seat, apparently for Neve, who is now a toddler.

The NZ government has ordered three Audi e-trons, which cost $NZ155,500 (before on-road costs) in long-range ’55’ format, and are being prepared to serve the highest state-level duties.

Two of these will serve to shuttle ministers between Wellington Airport and the government’s parliament, fondly known as the Beehive, while the third with baby seat will be placed in service in Ardern’s home town of Auckland.

To read the full version of this story, please go to our EV-focussed sister site, The Driven and click here…

Bridie Schmidt is lead reporter for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She specialises in writing about new technology, and has a keen interest in the role that zero emissions transport has to play in sustainability.

Bridie Schmidt

Bridie Schmidt is lead reporter for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She specialises in writing about new technology, and has a keen interest in the role that zero emissions transport has to play in sustainability.

Share
Published by

Recent Posts

S-curve modelling says renewables can kick coal out of Australia by 2032. But is this soon enough?

In the race to renewables, the big question is whether "faster than we thought" is…

14 August 2026

“It’s a commercial system. And it has a customer:” Sodium-ion battery sale hailed as a first for Australia

The sale of a 100 kilowatt and 200 kilowatt-hour sodium-ion battery system is being claimed…

14 August 2026

Energy Insiders Podcast: Will the green bank save the Tomago deal?

CEFC boss Ian Learmonth explains why big wind projects may finally get delivered this year.…

14 August 2026

Balcony solar or building integrated PV? The emerging options for apartment dwellers and owners

A Victorian parliamentary inquiry on apartment energy issues has recently reported and identified several issues…

14 August 2026

CEFC boss says funding deals for new wind and solar farms to power giant smelter still to be sorted

Head of green bank says Tomago green transition deal likely to get big wind projects…

14 August 2026

New big battery next to gas generator completes last hold point as storage takes more market share

Big battery built next to a gas generator it may often displace has been completed…

14 August 2026