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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. Slightly below 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 price of 27%. Please observe this determine is passenger automobiles solely. The statistics on all mild 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 a further 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 mild autos have been offered, however was about the identical as January. Many because of James at EVDB for entry to the figures.

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

The highest ten greatest promoting battery electrical autos in New Zealand in March 2024 have 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 might be vendor demos. Nonetheless, this SUV from SsangYong deserves our consideration. Apparently, the ID 4 numbers have been achieved resulting from 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 could be attributable to transport schedules, and so we have to hold a long term focus. Having stated 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 automotive market is ready to learn from a number of new battery electrical automobiles to be launched this 12 months. 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 referred to as the Dolphin Mini. The Seagull is a price range priced metropolis automotive with large enchantment. It’s the automobile that has frightened Ford CEO Jim Farley.

Plugin hybrid electrical autos are nonetheless promoting properly in New Zealand. The highest sellers have 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 virtually 1500 items. That is virtually twice as many as all plugin automobile gross sales — is Toyota having an “I instructed you so” second? Wanting on the superior markets of Scandinavia might imply that this second is not going to final. Toyota fields 8 HEV fashions in NZ, led by the RAV4.

New Zealand has a sturdy used automotive import trade — 4% of sunshine autos registered in March have 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 properly maintained. With Japan’s EV penetration price simply over 2%, provide of used Nissan Leafs might not at all times be out there. Maybe we are going to see some Japanese Kei EV automobiles on New Zealand roads?

Within the broader market: the Ford Ranger claimed the primary spot, with 1005 items offered in March, adopted by the Toyota RAV4 (791 items) and the Mitsubishi Triton (681 items). 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 means of the NZ EV Fb web page revealed an eclectic vary of matters. New Zealand, like Australia, is anticipating an inflow of electrical utes in 2024. Amongst the discussions about dwelling chargers, public chargers, and the Street Consumer 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 no “turbo lag,” and when you miss the noise, you’ll be able to at all times have an exterior boombox put in. Sadly, they don’t include a bottle of used oil — although, it shouldn’t be arduous to discover a provider for that.

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

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

My perception is that Street Consumer Costs (RUC) are having a big affect. Up till now, these have been levied on diesel autos. Petrol autos contributed to the roads by way of a petroleum levy when folks gas 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.

Should you personal a Nissan Leaf (~1,600 kg kerb weight) you contribute $76 / 1000 km.
Should you personal a Toyota RAV4 GX petrol hybrid (1,695 kg) you contribute $33 / 1000 km
Should 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 knowledge submit the removing of the NZ Clear Automotive Low cost, and factoring within the introduction of the Street Consumer 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 observe, James shared a clipping from a December 2000 copy of the Every day Mail. The headline: “Web ‘could also be only a passing fad as hundreds of thousands quit on it’.” Historical past might not repeat, nevertheless it does rhyme.