EV Market Stats 2024

Tracking the growth of electric vehicles in New Zealand.

February 29, 2024       10 min read
EV Sttats

The number of EVs in NZ has grown considerably since 2021, when the Clean Car Discount was introduced. The scheme, offering rebates on new EV registrations, ended in December 2023. The expansion in market share can also be linked to a broader selection of EV models and favourable pricing for entry-level vehicles.

💡Market Update – February 2024

February was another subdued month for electric vehicles in New Zealand (following a flat January).

482 fully electric vehicles were registered, with a further 265 plug-in hybrids. Given that 18,094 light vehicles were registered (in total), EVs made up 4.1%.

8.86% of new passenger cars were EVs (down from 27.2% for all of 2023).

The most registered EV was the Tesla Model Y (145 units). So far, in 2024, the Model Y is the most popular electric vehicle, followed by the BYD Seal (see rankings).

How many fully electric vehicles are there in New Zealand?

As of the end of February 2024, there are over 73,000 fully electric light vehicles (plus almost 31,000 plug-in hybrids).

Cumulative number of fully electric vehicles in NZ

What proportion of new cars registered each month are fully electric?

The new passenger car market is showing the strongest shift toward electric vehicles. Month-to-month numbers vary considerably (often skewed by large deliveries of Tesla vehicles once a quarter).

January 2024 – the first month without rebates – showed a market adjustment following an extremely high number of EV registrations in December 2023. The EV numbers in January were the lowest since May 2021.

Many EV buyers had ‘pulled forward’ purchases in December 2023, while combustion vehicle buyers deferred purchases (awaiting the end of fees).

Monthly number of new battery electric cars and market share

See a more detailed analysis of EVs in the new car market.

What proportion of new cars sold monthly are plug-in hybrid or fully electric?

The term electric vehicle (EV) can encompass both fully electric AND plug-in hybrid (as both can be propelled by externally charged electricity – via a plug).

Both types of car can be ‘plugged-in’.

Monthly number of new plug-in cars and market share

How many EVs are there in NZ?

How many plug-in vehicles are currently registered to be on NZ roads?

Cumulative number of electric vehicles registered in NZ

How has electric car market share grown over time?

In 2018, just over 1% of all new cars registered were electric.

In 2023, the market share of battery-electric and plug-in hybrid cars was over 27% – corresponding with a decline in demand for petrol-only cars.

2024 sees a substantial drop in market share.

Annual plug-in market share of new car registrations

What proportion of new utes or vans registered are plug-in hybrid or electric?

Only 1.5% of all new utes and vans registered in 2023 were electric vehicles.

See more analysis of the light vehicle market.

References

Data sourced from Waka Kotahi and the Ministry of Transport (see links and definitions).

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