A Tesla Model S electric car caught fire after hitting road debris on a Tennessee freeway, the third fire in a Model S in five weeks.

Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee says his scepticism about electric cars has all but disappeared.

Electric vehicles are still niche in the extreme, but right now in New Zealand you can buy externally rechargeable cars from Nissan, Mitsubishi and Holden.

The world premiere of BMW's all-new electric i3, powered by a 125kW electric motor and driving to a range of between 130 and 160 kilometers, was staged simultaneously in three continents this week, and New Zealanders will soon have a chance to drive the car. The worldwide premiere in London, New York and Beijing took place two years after the BMW i3 Concept was presented in Frankfurt on July 29, 2011, before the International Motor Show. NZ can expect the i3 to arrive in the third quarter of 2014. Also pictured, BMW's i8 Roadster concept.