2017 saw the introduction of Tesla and Hyundai into New Zealand’s full-electric new car market, with both brands proving to be a driving force behind a nearly eight-fold increase in year-on-year EV registrations.
According to Motor Industry Association (MIA) data, 564 full-electric vehicles were registered on our roads in 2017, representing a whopping 795 per cent increase on the 63 registered in 2016.
Leading full-electric model registrations was our Driven 2017 Green Power Car of the Year winner, the Hyundai Ioniq with 206 units and 37.8 per cent of the total EV market.
Launched in early 2017, the Ioniq EV arrived on our shores with a sub-$60k price tag, making it the cheapest new electric vehicle in New Zealand and having an instant impression on fleet and private buyers’.
Tesla Model S P100 D. Photo / Ted Baghurst
Tesla also officially launched locally in 2017, first with the Model S sedan and later introducing the Model X SUV.
With two models on offer Tesla would go on to become New Zealand’s market-leading EV brand in their first full year of operation, accounting for 44.7 per cent (244 units) of the full-electric new car market.
Tesla Model S registrations totaled 128 units in 2017, closely followed by the model X on 116 units.
The BMW I3, currently the German brand’s sole EV offering, was the fourth best selling full-electric model (65 units), followed by Volkswagen’s e-Golf (28 units).
Plug-in petrol hybrids saw a moderate year-on-year increase, with 387 registrations in 2017 slightly up on 2016’s total of 325.
2017 Mitsubishi Outlander. Photo / Cameron Officer
The plug-in petrol hybrid category was dominated by the Mitsubishi Outlander for a second year running, with over 65 per cent (255 units) of plug-in petrol registrations, followed by the Audi A3 (36 units) and BMW 2 Series (13 units).
The Petrol hybrid category also saw a modest boost with registrations up 25 per cent to 1717 units in 2017.
Toyota’s two brands were by far and away the petrol hybrid market leaders, with Toyota and Lexus hybrid models accounting for over 75 per cent (1379 units) and 17 per cent (292 units) of total hybrid registrations.
The top selling hybrid model was the Toyota Camry (634 units), followed by the Corolla (480 units) and Prius C (221 units).