March saw 2275 sales of full battery EV cars, the most since the end of the EV subsidy scheme ended in December 2023, according to NZTA data.
This was up from 634 in February, and 594 in March 2025.
But despite the surge, it was still much lower than the 3357 in December 2023 when buyers rushed to get some free taxpayer funding. Prior to that distortion, the highest month EV sales total for new vehicles was 2637 in March 2023.
Clearly, geopolitical realities is focusing the minds of car-buyers, both personal and fleet.

Hybrid sales in March were another 4360, and together NEV sales accounted for 65.9% of all new car sales, only bested by the artificial surge in December 2024 when it was 81.4%.
ICE new car sales in March came in at 3458. New commercial vehicle sales were 4828 in March, and used imports were 8230 (and that was the most for any month since July 2024). 610 of the used imports were NEVs, mostly hybrids.
3 Comments
DJT doing his bit for electrification. Visionary.
I've chatted with a few people about owning a plug in recently. The question of "do you think this will be the last oil shock" gets a lot of cut through.
Yes. there's an irony to the fact that this might actually aid the transition to EV's.
It's certainly made the general public as well as governments worldwide take another look at their energy and transport options, and that ultimately is a good thing.... about the only good thing that Trump has triggered.
And remember, this oaf thought he deserved a Peace Prize.
Also a conversation with my family, two of whom had been planning vehicle purchases since last year
I don't own a PH/EV myself however have been looking at solar for an existing house I've recently bought. Supplier told me yesterday inquiries massively increased in recent weeks ~ 3wks wait to get back to me
Yeh a pretty good lift without the subsidy. Looks like people are just naturally moving that way now.
Fuel costs and more choice prob doin the job on their own, and as nktokyo suggest above: cheers DJT 😁
(full disclosure I hold chinese ev shares, quite a chunky position, so yeah a bit biased)
Went 5kW solar 3 years ago. Bought a 2nd hand 60kWh Kia EV last September. Best thing I ever did. Driven 6000kms since then hasn't cost me a cent, other than RUC
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