New Zealand electric vehicle registrations surge amid higher fuel prices-Xinhua - 新华网

WELLINGTON, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Registrations of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in New Zealand surged 174.1 percent year on year in October, as persistently high fuel prices influenced buyer behavior, according to the Motor Trade Association (MTA).

A total of 3,317 plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles were registered in October 2026, accounting for 22.7 percent of new light vehicle registrations, compared with 8.9 percent in October 2025, the MTA said in a statement on Monday.

Nearly 60 percent of battery electric vehicles registered in October 2026 were bought by private owners, said Larry Fallowfield, MTA sector manager for dealers and specialist services.

"Some of that is registrations catching up with sales in March when the Iran conflict started and there was a bit of panic and not enough stock to meet demand," Fallowfield said, adding that expectations that higher fuel prices would persist were also influencing buyer behavior.

Diesel vehicle registrations fell 27.8 percent year on year, the MTA said.

Overall, new light vehicle registrations rose 11.5 percent year on year to 23,289 in October, the second-highest monthly total of 2026 behind September, it said.

Chinese brands accounted for 22.7 percent of new light vehicle registrations last month, up from 11.5 percent a year earlier and 5.4 percent in January 2024, Fallowfield said, adding that Japanese, South Korean and U.S. brands all lost market share. ■