New Zealand Passenger EV Penetration Simply Beneath 10% in March 2024

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The New Zealand passenger EV market has seen an increase from the doldrums of February, when it reached a low of 4.1% market share. Just under 10% of passenger autos offered in NZ in March got here with a plug. Thus, the quarter’s common was at about 6% plugin autos. Put this in the context of 2023, although, when NZ averaged a penetration fee of 27%. Please notice this determine is passenger vehicles solely. The statistics on all gentle autos getting into the NZ fleet is a bit more sobering and reduces penetration to 4.7% when utes are included.

Is that this the brand new regular within the New Zealand market? Once more, we have to wait and see.

Pure petrol alone powered 3662 new autos offered (48%), plus an extra 2628 HEVs (35%), 569 diesel (8%), 477 BEVs (6%) and 225 PHEVs (3%). This out of a complete of about 7,500. The general market was down considerably from February, when over 18,000 gentle autos had been offered, however was about the identical as January. Many due to James at EVDB for entry to the figures.

James tells us that in quarter 1, 2024, roughly 1100 new absolutely electrical autos had been registered. In the identical quarter, there have been 1800 Toyota RAV4 hybrids and 3204 Ford Rangers registered. Appears like we’re again in 2021.

The highest ten finest promoting battery electrical autos in New Zealand in March 2024 had been:

1. Tesla Mannequin 3 (125)
2. Tesla Mannequin Y (74)
3. MG4 (42)
4. VW ID.4 (28)
5. BYD Dolphin (20)
6. Seal (19)
7. BMW iX (17)
8. BMW i4 (13)
9. Hyundai Ioniq 5 (12)
10. KGM Torres (12)

A particular point out goes to the KGM Torres, which had 12 gross sales on debut. However they could possibly be supplier demos. However, this SUV from SsangYong deserves our consideration. Apparently, the ID 4 numbers had been achieved because of heavy discounting.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E has dropped out of the highest 10, with solely 7 deliveries in March. The Kia EV9 had 6 deliveries, in comparison with 9 final month. BMW left the chart on February however is again now in March. Subaru offered two Solterras and Toyota one BZ4X. In fact, all of those ups and downs will be attributable to transport schedules, and so we have to hold a long run focus. Having mentioned that, Tesla, BYD, and MG are shaping as much as be the mainstay of the New Zealand EV market. MG has now bumped Kia from the third spot on the rostrum.

The New Zealand electrical automobile market is ready to profit from a number of new battery electrical vehicles to be launched this yr. These embrace the Nissan Ariya, the Chery Omoda E5 (from China), the Kia EV5, the VW ID Buzz, and the MINI Countryman. Hopefully the BYD Seagull will make it to NZ, presumably known as the Dolphin Mini. The Seagull is a price range priced metropolis automobile with huge attraction. It’s the car that has frightened Ford CEO Jim Farley.

Plugin hybrid electrical autos are nonetheless promoting nicely in New Zealand. The highest sellers had been:

1. Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (32)
2. Mitsubishi Outlander (31)
3. MINI Countryman (30)
4. Mazda CX 60 (17)
5. Land Rover Vary Rover Sport (13)
6. Land Rover Defender (12)

Toyota continues to dominate the sealed hybrid (HEV) market with over a 50% share and supplying nearly 1500 models. That is nearly twice as many as all plugin car gross sales — is Toyota having an “I advised you so” second? Trying on the superior markets of Scandinavia could imply that this second is not going to final. Toyota fields 8 HEV fashions in NZ, led by the RAV4.

New Zealand has a strong used automobile import trade — 4% of sunshine autos registered in March had been used EVs. Nissan Leaf numbers halved month on month. One of many penalties of the numerous presence of Nissan Leafs on New Zealand roads is the need to maintain CHAdeMO chargers out there and nicely maintained. With Japan’s EV penetration fee simply over 2%, provide of used Nissan Leafs could not all the time be out there. Maybe we are going to see some Japanese Kei EV vehicles on New Zealand roads?

Within the broader market: the Ford Ranger claimed the primary spot, with 1005 models offered in March, adopted by the Toyota RAV4 (791 models) and the Mitsubishi Triton (681 models). Of the manufacturers, Toyota was the market chief, with a 20.9% share, adopted by Kia in second with 12.8% and Mitsubishi in third with 10.7%.

Trawling by way of the NZ EV Fb web page revealed an eclectic vary of subjects. New Zealand, like Australia, is anticipating an inflow of electrical utes in 2024. Amongst the discussions about residence chargers, public chargers, and the Highway Person tax, there have been some amusing musings concerning the Geely Radar electrical ute: If I swap my Ford Ranger for an electrical ute, can I nonetheless drive it like a Neanderthal on meth? Tailgating ought to be simpler with out a “turbo lag,” and for those who miss the noise, you possibly can all the time have an exterior boombox put in. Sadly, they don’t include a bottle of used oil — although, it shouldn’t be exhausting to discover a provider for that.

James of EVDB and I had a chat over e-mail concerning the future prospects within the subsequent six months for the EV market in New Zealand:

The subsequent 6 months? I don’t suppose anybody’s sport sufficient to foretell (together with me). The downturn has been deeper than I anticipated.

My perception is that Highway Person Costs (RUC) are having a major influence. Up till now, these had been levied on diesel autos. Petrol autos contributed to the roads through a petroleum levy when individuals gasoline up.

EVs have been exempt from RUCs till this level. Whereas everybody agrees that each one autos should contribute to highway upkeep, the system is poorly thought of.

In case you personal a Nissan Leaf (~1,600 kg kerb weight) you contribute $76 / 1000 km.
In case you personal a Toyota RAV4 GX petrol hybrid (1,695 kg) you contribute $33 / 1000 km
In case you personal a Ford Ranger Wildtrak diesel (2,341 kg) you contribute $76 / 1000 km.

It successfully disincentives EV possession.

With only one quarter of information put up the removing of the NZ Clear Automotive Low cost, and factoring within the introduction of the Highway Person Cost this month, it seems that there’s some slight enchancment. Have all of the orders from December 2023 been crammed? Will demand attain a brand new regular in quarter 2? Solely time will inform, and we are going to watch the saga unfold. On a historic notice, James shared a clipping from a December 2000 copy of the Each day Mail. The headline: “Web ‘could also be only a passing fad as thousands and thousands quit on it’.” Historical past could not repeat, however it does rhyme.