EV fleet hits 4,000

The government’s 2017 EV target has been reached five months early, with 4,000 electric vehicles now registered in New Zealand, said Transport Minister Simon Bridges and Energy and Resources Minister Judith Collins. “This is great news and a reflection of the work undertaken by the Government and private sector in normalising the purchase and integration of EVs into the New Zealand vehicle fleet,” said Bridges. A total of 4,027 EVs are now registered in New Zealand, which Bridges said puts the country well on track to meet its target of 64,000 EVs by the end of 2021. “The positive acceptance of EVs in New Zealand is having real benefits,” Bridges added. “The rising uptake has led to increased manufacturer confidence. They are now offering more choice in new EVs than ever before. We are also seeing an increase in the number of used EVs importers are bringing into the country.” Collins added that attitudes towards EVs are changing. “The recent announcement by Volvo, that from 2019 all new models it produces will be fully electric or plug-in hybrid, shows there is a changing global perception of how EVs are perceived,” she said. “These latest figures show that New Zealand is on the right track.” The Electric Vehicle Programme was first announced in May 2016, and is designed to encourage the uptake of EVs in New Zealand to a goal of 64,000 by 2021.