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Tesla surges to front of new car market

Electric car breaks 1,000 units sales barrier in September to be the hottest new car on the market.
Posted on 04 October, 2021
Tesla surges to front of new car market

There were 11,875 new cars sold last month compared to 7,735 in September 2020 – an increase of 53.5 per cent.

Last month’s sales took the year-to-date total to 84,162.

The best-selling model was the Tesla Model 3, pictured, on 1,066 units for a market share of nine per cent. This represented a 666.9 per cent jump in its sales compared to 139 in the same month of last year.

It was also a substantial jump from the 191 sales completed in August this year.

The Mitsubishi Outlander was second with an 8.1 per cent market share thanks to 963 registrations, its monthly tally climbing 267.6 per cent from 262 a year ago.

Two Toyotas took the next two spots, with the Corolla on 744 sales and 6.3 per cent, and the RAV4 with 575 units and 4.8 per cent.

Mitsubishi’s ASX completed the top five with 473 units and four per cent.

As for marques, Toyota topped the ladder with 1,993 sales, which was up 63.8 per cent from 1,217 in September 2020. It now has a year-to-date total of 11,972, equivalent to 14.2 per cent of the market. 

Mitsubishi was second on 1,921 units – an increase of 210.8 per cent from 618 a year ago. Year to date it has sold 10,784 for a share of 12.8 per cent. 

Tesla rounded out the top three for September after the Model 3 accounted for all of its sales and gave it 2,167 sales so far in 2021.

Nearly all the regions saw new-car sales increase in September when compared to the same month of 2020.

Auckland managed a 40.7 per cent increase, from 3,093 a year ago to 4,353, despite having to operate at Covid-19 level three and four throughout the month.

Christchurch sales soared 95.7 per cent, from 742 to 1,452, and Wellington's numbers jumped 67 per cent, from 803 to 1,341.

Other big climbers included Rotorua, where the 210 units sold was 136 per cent higher than September 2020, and Gisborne, which went from 40 sales to 91 for a 127.5 per cent increase.