With elections imminent and a right-leaning coalition expected to win, New Zealand new car buyers are about to lose massive bonus/malus benefits from purchasing an electric vehicle. Hence, September’s a buying spree! The NZ market is experiencing a politically-driven pull, with electric vehicles taking 34% of the auto market in September. That is up a whopping 10% over last month.
Volkswagen delivered 14 units of the ID.4 and 13 of the ID.5. The Kia EV6 has increased in delivery volume. Even though Tesla managed to double the number of Model 3 vehicles delivered to 63 units, I expect the refreshed Model 3 to do better in the fourth quarter, depending on pricing and politics.Cupra Born selling well in NZ. Photo courtesy of Majella Waterworth.
The Dolphin made a big splash in its first month — landing in the top 5 on entry. The Great Wall ORA seems to be making a slow start, with 7 cars delivered in August and only 10 in September. Once this retro funky sedan is available in better numbers, I expect that the Dolphin, the ORA, and the MG4 will create their own niche on NZ roads and on the best seller chart.The Model Y was the most registered new car in NZ in September, narrowly beating the Toyota RAV4 , with the Ford Ranger in third .
These were followed in small numbers by a smattering of brands: BMW, MG, Land Rover, Jeep, Volvo, and others.