EV imports accelerate

The value of imports of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) more than tripled in the year to the end of March, amid a record-breaking 12 months for all vehicle types.

Latest figures from Stats NZ show the value of passenger cars imported in the year to March 2022 was $6.1 billion, an increase of 50 per cent on the previous year. 

It says while the increase was partly due to the previous period being heavily affected by Covid-19, it is still the largest value of vehicles purchased for any year ended March.

Stats NZ notes vehicles of all powertrains recorded increases, with BEV imports climbing 309 per cent to $543 million. 

Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) jumped 63 per cent, or $242m, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) soared 141 per cent, or $46m. 

Meanwhile, the value of internal combustion vehicles rose 42 per cent over the same time frame to $5.5b.

The organisation’s figures show that since mid-2020 the share of passenger vehicle imports with some form of electric propulsion has grown from 8.2 per cent to 21 per cent.

Alasdair Allen, international trade statistics manager, says: “The last two years have seen a real step change for New Zealand’s car imports, and we expect this to continue with the introduction of the Clean Vehicles Act.”

Imports of vehicles for the transport of goods, including trucks, vans, and utes, also increased, with imports of non-electric transport vehicles less than five tonnes reaching $1.5b in the year ended March 2022.

“While there may have been an expectation of a rush recently to beat rising import fees for light trucks, what we’re seeing is mainly a correction from their early pandemic low,” adds Allen.

EVs for goods transport have recently been added as a separate category by Stats NZ, with $1.6m in imports achieved since January this year.