In brief
Fuel costs drove a 174.1 % jump in electric and plug‑in hybrid registrations in New Zealand in October 2026. The share of EVs rose from 8.9% to 22.7%, while diesel registrations fell 27.8%. Chinese brands captured the largest share of the market, overtaking Japan, South Korea and U.S. competitors.
In October 2026, New Zealand’s Motor Trade Association (MTA) reported that 3,317 plug‑in hybrid and battery electric vehicles were registered, a 174.1 % jump year‑on‑year.
These vehicles now account for 22.7 % of all new light‑vehicle registrations, up from 8.9 % in October 2025.
Private owners bought nearly 60 % of the battery electric vehicles registered that month, according to MTA sector manager Larry Fallowfield.
Fallowfield noted that rising fuel costs and the expectation that they will stay high are key reasons people are choosing electric cars.
Diesel vehicle registrations fell 27.8 % year‑on‑year, a sharp decline compared with the electric‑vehicle surge.
Overall new light‑vehicle registrations rose 11.5 % year‑on‑year to 23,289 in October, making it the second‑highest monthly total for 2026.
Chinese‑branded cars took 22.7 % of the new‑vehicle market last month, up from 11.5 % a year earlier and 5.4 % in January 2024.
Japanese, South Korean and U.S. brands all lost market share to Chinese competitors in the same period.
Fallowfield added that a period of panic in March when the Iran conflict began also saw more registrations lagging behind sales due to stock shortages.
Fuel prices remain persistently high across the country, continuing to influence buying decisions according to the MTA.