NZ fleet growth at record levels

The Ministry of Transport has released the 2016 Annual Fleet Statistics that show New Zealand’s vehicle fleet reaching record heights. The number of vehicles per capita, vehicle kilometres travelled, and distance travelled per capita all grew during 2016. Vehicle kilometres travelled in 2016 also increased by 4.6 per cent, to more than 45 billion kilometres. Each New Zealander travelled on average 9,683 km, the highest since 2007. There are now around 774 light vehicles per 1,000 people, the highest level ever. “With the entry of so many new vehicles, New Zealand’s light petrol fleet is becoming more fuel-efficient, using on average half a litre less fuel to travel 100 kilometres in 2016 than in 2013. The number of electric vehicles (including plug-ins) grew significantly from 964 in 2015 to 2,438 in 2016. In 2000 there were only 51 electric vehicles in New Zealand,” says Peter Mersi, Secretary for Transport. Once vehicles being scrapped are taken into account, the light vehicle fleet grew by over 146,000 vehicles, the highest annual growth rate for the last 15 years. “Over 3.6 million light vehicles are on New Zealand roads, with a record high of almost 307,000 light vehicles entering our fleet in 2016.” The average age of New Zealand’s fleet remains above the international average, at 14 years. The MoT says the average age of the light fleet and the truck fleet (17.7 years) has increased. They say that this is not isolated to New Zealand and one possible influence is improved mechanical reliability, leading to vehicles lasting longer. The MoT also says that growth in the light fleet in the last three years has mirrored population growth. Population growth has increased substantially with positive net migration recently. In 2011/12 more people left New Zealand than arrived but since then arrivals have outnumbered departures.