We are already over seven months into the year, and the recent Clean Car Discount brought in on 1 July 2021 seems to have caused quite a stir – Battery Electric Vehicles are up a massive 244 per cent, and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) are up 141 per cent year-on-year.
According to figures released to 1 NEWS, 1,047 rebates for EVs and PHEVs worth about $5.7 million were approved in July alone.
Despite the rise in BEV and PHEV sales, utes remain popular among Kiwi motorists and still make up the top three spots for new vehicle registrations.
At the end of July 2021, the Motor Industry Association (MIA) data revealed that the Ford Ranger is the top selling new model in New Zealand with an impressive 6,553 registrations. This equates to a 20 per cent market share in the commercial vehicle segment. The Toyota Hilux sits in second place with 5,585 registrations and 17 per cent market share, and the mighty Mitsubishi Triton comes in at third with 3,489 registrations and an 11 per cent market share.
The first non-commercial passenger vehicle on the list is the Mitsubishi ASX, which is the fourth-bestselling model with 3,398 registrations. Rounding off the top five is the Toyota RAV4, which evidently remains a Kiwi family favourite with 3,214 registrations.
The Mitsubishi ASX is the bestselling passenger car so far this year
In terms of brand performance, Toyota lead the combined sales charge with 16 per cent market share, followed by Mitsubishi (12 per cent) and Ford (nine per cent).
Although utes make up the top three bestselling models, the largest segment is Compact SUVs with a 24 per cent share, followed by Medium SUVs (17 per cent). Pick Up/Chassis Cab 4X4 is the third strongest segment at 16 per cent. In total, SUVs make up a staggering 52 per cent of all registrations, while utes make up 23 per cent in comparison.
New Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) registrations continue to soar to new heights, climbing 244 per cent year-to-date, rising from 709 registrations to 2,442 so far this year.
There have been a handful of key models that have influenced significant growth of the BEV segment. The Tesla Model 3 has enjoyed the most registrations at 903, followed by the most affordable new BEV in NZ - the MG ZS EV – with 427 units. With 385 units, the Hyundai Kona is the third bestselling model so far.
The Tesla Model 3 has had 903 registrations so far this year
According to the Ministry of Transport (MOT), there are a total of 29,854 plug-in vehicles in New Zealand, and with the Clean Car Discount now in place, we’re starting to see an even stronger influx of interest in BEVs and PHEVs.
Top 10 bestselling NZ new vehicles
- Ford Ranger - 6,553
- Toyota Hilux - 5,585
- Mitsubishi Triton - 3,489
- Mitsubishi ASX - 3,398
- Toyota RAV4 - 3,214
- Mitsubishi Outlander - 3,160
- Mazda CX-5 - 2,159
- Nissan Navara - 2,094
- Suzuki Swift - 1,948
- Kia Stonic - 1,885
Top 10 bestselling new BEVs
- Tesla Model 3 - 903
- MG ZS EV - 427
- Hyundai Kona - 385
- Hyundai IONIQ - 118
- Kia Niro - 98
- Audi e-tron - 93
- Porsche Taycan - 80
- MINI Electric - 68
- Nissan Leaf - 55
- Mercedes-Benz EQC - 48