By just about any measure, 2021 was a record year for new car sales. These records are a key factor in the country's growing current account deficit.
The 2021 records include 112,140 new passenger vehicles, of which 82,809 were SUVs. There were also 121,883 used imports registered although this is not a record. (There were 166,000 used imports sold in 2017.) But new commercials - primarily but not only double-cab utes - registered another 54,389 vehicles and also a record.
New vehicles sold with some form of electrification grew strongly in 2021 with 6,899 battery-only electrics (BEVs), 2,461 plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and 13,794 hybrid vehicles registered for the year and totaling 23,154 or just over 20%, compared to 1,554 BEVs, 756 PHEVs and 8,667 hybrids in 2020, or 13.5%.
In December alone, there were 1,133 light vehicle and 10 heavy vehicle full battery electric vehicles registered. The top selling models were the Tesla Model 3 (619 units) followed by the Hyundai Kona (138 units) and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 (70 units).
Hybrids continued their consistent strength with 1,235 vehicles registered in the month of December. Between both the EVs and hybrids, 31% of December passenger cars sold new were electrified.
Many of these are SUVs too.
Despite all this push of electrification, sales of cars with standard internal combustion engines (ICE) in 2021 totaled 99,963 new passenger cars, up from just 69,883 ICE cars in 2020, and almost exactly the same (99,581) as in 2019 for ICE cars.
The added 2021 new car sales momentum came from the NZ Government subsidy, a gift to the car selling industry.
New vehicles sold
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70 Comments
Or from what is common around where I live, shared driveways and a really small parking space. (Even smaller garage but that is being used for storage etc). So a really tiny EV would fit but anything larger like a model 3, nope.
However not all is lost. In all these places you can still own an electric bike, scooter, mobility scooter etc and charge them indoors.
If we really want to use subsidies to reduce transport emissions, rather than just lowering the carbon budget in the cap and trade scheme and letting it happen naturally, surely we'd get much better bang for our buck subsidising electric bikes? An electric car may be an improvement over an ICE, but moving from a 2 car household to 1 car + 1 e-bike, or from a 1 car household to 1 e-bike is an enormous win.
Leaving home in the dark and returning in the dark in the middle of winter on an ebike isn't going to fly for most. Sure, if you live within 10mins of work it might be okay, but an hour each way in the rain and dark. In summer it might be fun, but in winter a heater, a roof and a stereo are going to win.
Imagine what the EV revolution is going to do to the value of second hand petrol cars (eventually). Wether it be a stonking V12 or a creamy straight 6, there is no stronger emotive driver than nostalgia. The WRX STI… I remember driving my mates one with the biggest smile on my face. we attach so many memories to cars.. I just can’t get excited about a Tesla
Perhaps, but this is the kind of thing we have to do to actually make a dent in our emissions. Things will have to change, and that might mean we have to be outside in the dark sometimes without a protective metal box around us.
I do appreciate it's not for everyone - some will live too far away, have to carry tools or other equipment for their work, or be physically unable to bike even with electric support. However, here in Christchurch I expect the majority of car trips could be replaced by bike/e-bike trips. There may be a little discomfort involved, but huge money savings, regular exercise, less hassle with parking and vehicle maintenance, and in Chch in many cases a bike is the faster option. For me, driving to work and walking from the nearest available parking would take twice as long as my bike commute.
Cycling to work is just a romantic dream in peoples heads, I tried it some 20 years ago now and it was borderline suicide on an almost daily basis. Not only would you need dedicated cycle lanes you would need them to be totally separate from the road by a concrete barrier to stop the idiots. I think something like this already exists down the northwestern motorway in Auckland but it would have to be taken to a whole other level to get people on bikes, possibly even totally covered and forced airflow to assist, now that would be wicked doing 50Km/hr into work.
Probably very location dependent - 2/3 of my department in Christchurch cycles to work regularly and incidents are very rare. I can think of two minor scrapes with a vehicle between the dozen of us in the last decade - we have far more injuries from indoor sport teams. Of course you have to be very aware of your surroundings, but I have seen research suggesting cycling to work is a net positive in terms of life expectancy as the exercise outweighs the tiny risk. It's a big news story when a cyclist dies, because it is extremely rare.
Yep. The only thing more dangerous to your health than biking to work is ... not biking to work.
I found when I committed to bike commuting 35k round trip *every* day, initially I had quite a few "interactions" but as my awareness increased and my attitude improved they gradually died away and it became more like a dance with the other commuters, give and take, pick your moments, etc. Also sometimes it was other cyclists who were the biggest idiots.
100% agree with you. I got myself an electric scooter October 2020, by about march 2021 I'd done 2,500km on it to and from work. About 12km each way.
To be fair, it took around about the same length of time to scooter as it did to drive. But that all went out the door pretty quickly in winter, they just aren't practical in the wet and cold.
Now if public transport was actually a viable solution in Christchurch, yeah I'd consider it again. Scooter/bike on the good days and bus on the bad ones... But unfortunately our public transport has been going downhill for years. Also just try taking a scooter on the bus... I've had drivers try and turn me away because the batteries are fire hazard and other such nonsense.
Elon's batteries might last, but I doubt those early production paint jobs are going to play nice with salted American winter roads for 30 years without problems. They should be fine here though, provided people don't do stupid shit like driving along Tamaki Drive or the Maraetai Waterfront when it's in flood.
Audi's Quattro and Nissan's various ATTESA versions have worked fine for me over the years too. Multi-motor EVs can take this to the next level though, with near-infinite individual control of each wheel depending on grip levels. The future for AWD/4WD is quite exciting.
Yeah nah, just sold my 30 year old sports car, sure there is nothing like raw power with no traction control and zero safety features except ABS brakes but things have moved on. My current 2004 Subaru will get traded on the new STi if it makes the grade power wise. EV's are just a car from getting from A to B and are for people who have zero passion for actually driving. Sure that may change in the future but the problem is the demand for SUV's is so high thats not going to change anytime soon. Performance electric sports cars is just not happening and the few that are get priced out of the picture.
Yea nah enjoy your new STI, I think if you're driving a 30 year old Sportscar (that's like....GT4, R32 territory, Christ I'm old) then you're in for a shock at how pig-heavy the modern STI has gotten and how far removed they are from the cult hero cars of the 1990s.
However, if you have somewhere secure at home and can afford a decent tracker, the Bug Eye Imprezas can now be legally imported (2001 first-reg dates in Japan and earlier). I'd have one of those in a heartbeat, with modern tuning you could get Group N speed out of it with little hassle. My goal is to get a cheap EV and use the savings I get from commuting to pay for toys in the future. I couldn't give a shit about 'passion' when it comes to driving to and from work, I bought a Mini Cooper S because I thought it would be a fun daily driver. Look at where that got me.
A cheap Leaf and a Group A/N hero car sounds like the perfect garage to me.
Yeah you do have to factor in the "getting older" unfortunately. Things change so what I no longer want is the constant maintenance because I do everything on the car myself. You get to the point where you now have money to spend and are sick of getting covered in oil under cars. With old cars you need TWO cars in case the other craps out. I'm now at the point of ONE new car and just do the fun jobs like oil and filter changes and brake pads now and again. Huge amount of fun modifying my car but the new one will have enough power so it will remain 100% stock.
Do we include hybrids in the EV stable? I'm waiting for the new Alfa Romeo Tonale, which they say will go into production this year, probably for sale in 2023. They also have a compact SUV in the making. I'm thinking those will be a lot of fun, and maybe not as pricey as their full-sized ICE sibling, the Stelvio.
https://alfaromeo.co.nz/news-detail/the-new-alfa-romeo-tonale-concept-c…
Carlos67,
You have clearly never driven an EV. "Electric is a yawn fest," Why? Should I wish to, my Leaf can out accelerate most ICE cars from a standing start. No, it doesn't make a vroom vroom noise, but i outgrew that when I grew up and it requires just as much 'driver input' whatever that means.
You sound like yet another Kiwi driver who thinks speed limits are an insult to their masculinity.
Driver input is a 6 speed manual. If you like driving an auto because you cannot be bothered shifting then electric is for you. What's speed got to do with anything, pretty sure the acceleration of electric and top speeds are well over the posted limits. Don't worry yourself the move to electric and GPS will soon see the cars limited to the maximum posted limits. Acceleration may become more important when the fastest the car will ever go is 100km/hr so you will just have to settle for the buzz of 0-100 in under 3 seconds.
I'd take a good flappy paddle gearbox over rowing the box any day, and my current car has the best 6spd I've ever hustled along a windy road. Certainly makes an E153 feel agricultural by comparison. Agree on the cost of running an Audi, or anything high performance by VAG.
Don't worry, someone will soon make a bolt on dash with a fake tacho, a speaker for engine noises and a fake gearshift so you can pretend you are Aryton.
I'll make a prediction: yes it will.
I hate automatics so much, if you're really trying to drive and not just crawling in traffic. They're stupid and always in the wrong gear. With an EV there's no need: instant torque, always available, as if you've just nailed the change perfectly.
You're right of course. There are no words to describe slamming into third gear, planting your foot down, listening to the ear shattering engine roar, the car vibrating as it wears itself out, the wasted heat shimmering off the hood, the clouds of poisonous exhaust being blasted out the back and then being effortlessly and silently overtaken by an EV. Or maybe there is a word: regret.
"But new commercials - primarily but not only double-cab utes - registered another 54,389 vehicles and also a record."
Perhaps a bit of front-running of the Ute Tax here? If so, 2021 might mark a high point. Until the electric utes arrive, any day now....soon ish.......
The couriers love the ice version. 1/2 the price, 5 year warranty, many calculated you could write it off after 5 years, and still be ahead. Next minute some of them are clocking up 500k without problem, whilst transit owner s looking at thousands for a fuel pump or whatever. Same with ssyangong, used to be poor man's Mercedes , now people saying they are more reliable than a Merc.
Remember the subsidy for non plug in hybrids kicks in 1st April 2022, which will further increase the ratio of NEV's being sold. Those are often priced much closer to petrol-only models, so expect them to be marketed hard and a lot sold.
Also it was early 2021 when NEV's had 10% market share, great to see the subsidies being effective.
The figures for Hybrids show that Joe public better understands the reality of BEV at present. My 2.4 Ltr Toyota Crown Hybrid averages 5 Ltrs of 95 per100 Kms and will give most cars a run for their money if I select 2nd and add Electric, but no point just let the impatient pass, on their way to the Casketeers.
Yep good times alright, new car sales up so happy days. I see it in my city every day, so many brand new Audi's, Merc's, Jaguar's, Maserati's etc and some I have never even heard of! They all have one thing in common though, they all drive past the growing number of people who have been left behind, sleeping on the streets or in their cars.
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