EV uptake not there yet

The latest EV registration figures tend to back the view EV numbers will fall short of the 64,000 goal by 2021.

Even the Ministry of Transport confirms that, predicting New Zealand will be 20,000 EVs short of the target set by the National government in 2016, reported in EVtalk.

That’s not helped by reports the government’s proposed Clean Car plan, which included EV incentives, has been shelved.

February EV registrations of 19,838 from the ministry are 548 up on January’s 19,290 – not quite hitting the 20,000 mark now expected in March.

While the registrations are still up more than 500 a month, that’s unlikely to be enough to get to the 64,000 goal which the present Labour-led coalition appears to have backed away from.

Used light pure electrics continue to dominate, up 254 from 10,514 in January to 10,768 in February.

New light pure EV registrations increased 118 from 4015 in January to 4133, while new light plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) were just behind with a 112 jump from 2970 to 3082.

Used light PHEVs went from 1616 to 1675 – up 59, and heavy EVs rose by five from 175 to 180.

The target set by National for the end of this year is 32,000 EVs on our roads.