EV Market Share: Light Vehicles
EV market share is the percentage of light vehicle registrations that are electric (can be charged from an external plug).
EV market share snapshot
Light vehicle registrations
September 2024
Percentage that were EVs
Breakdown of vehicle registrations by fuel type.
This page reviews the monthly registration statistics for cars and light commercial vehicles. It includes:
- New passenger cars.
- Used import passenger cars.
- New utes and vans.
- Used import utes and vans.
Vehicle market drill down
Drill down into light vehicle registrations (by fuel type and vehicle make).
Click chart to drilldown
Yearly EV market share
EV registrations doubled in 2021 and 2022, and market share followed the same trend. In 2023, both market share and volume continued to grow. However, 2024 sees a drastic drop in EV registrations.
Market share by fuel type over time
At the beginning of 2020, over 88% of light vehicle registrations in New Zealand were Petrol or Diesel.
Petrol-only vehicles are losing market share to electrified vehicles. Diesel vehicle market share remains strong due to the high number of utes (light trucks) registered monthly.
Vehicle registrations by fuel type over time
There is significant variation in the actual number of vehicles registered.
Overall, fewer vehicles were registered in 2024, but diesel vehicles increased (compared to 2023), and electric vehicles decreased.
Seeing different numbers elsewhere?
The NZ automotive market can be segmented into cars, light commercial vehicles (utes and vans), and heavy vehicles. It can be divided into new and used imports.
It’s important to compare the same market segment.
Electric cars: new vs used imports
Segmenting passenger cars into new and used import registrations shows a marked difference in EV uptake.
Supply of used BEVs from traditional markets (Japan) is very limited (mostly the Nissan Leaf).
CHAdeMO vs CCS
New Zealand EVs have two different DC fast-charge socket types: CHAdeMo (predominant in Japanese used imports) and CCS Type 2. This affects fast-charging infrastructure, as both plug types must be accommodated.
In mid-2022, the two types were split 50/50. Since then, CCS EVs have dominated market share, leading to a 2:1 ratio of CCS to CHAdeMO.
CHAdeMO sockets can be found on the Nissan Leaf, Nissan e-NV200, and Lexus UX300e
Only battery-electric vehicles are charted. Some plug-in hybrids (such as older Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs) also have a CHAdeMo socket, but it is unknown how often these vehicles are fast-charged.
EVs on the technology adoption life cycle
The technology adoption life cycle is a theory that predicts the uptake of new technology. It’s based on ideas about the diffusion of innovation and can be presented as a bell-curve graph.
The transition from early adopters to the early majority is significant enough to be called ‘crossing the chasm‘. Some technologies fail to make this transition.
Linear growth is one possible forecast, but it seems unlikely due to the following:
- NZ is at an early stage of EV adoption; many see EVs as a compromise or too early of a technology.
- The future of government policy assisting EV uptake is uncertain.
- Many buyers opt for hybrid cars (used import and new NZ) to save on fuel costs.
- NZ relies on the Japanese Domestic Market for most used car stock. Japan has a good supply of hybrids but very little supply of BEVs (Japan has very low EV adoption).
- Economy – inflation and cost-of-living increases may dampen the mood for new vehicle purchases.
- NZ has an aggressive ute (light truck) market. The market share of these (predominantly diesel) vehicles has shown no sign of changing.
- Reliable and comprehensive charging infrastructure is critical to EV adoption.
See more about the NZ EV adoption curve and how we meet governmental targets.
