EV imports values plunge more than 50% in year to June

Imports of fully electric vehicles (EVs) into New Zealand have more than halved in value over the past year, as the broader market for low-emission vehicles undergoes significant shifts.

According to Stats NZ, the total value of passenger motor vehicle imports for the 12 months to June 2025 was $4.9 billion, down $1.4 billion or 23% compared with the previous year.

“Electric vehicle imports saw the largest decline, down by $518 million,” international accounts spokesperson Viki Ward says.

In dollar terms, EV imports fell 57% to $395 million for the year, while plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) dropped 38% to $234 million. In contrast, hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) imports increased 3.8% to reach $1.6 billion.

“HEVs were our top imported passenger cars in the year to June 2025,” Ward says.

“They have overtaken petrol cars with the 1.5–3L engine category.”

Imports of internal combustion engine vehicles fell 20% to $4.5 billion during the period.

Despite the slump in EV and PHEV imports, reduced-emission vehicles overall (HEVs, PHEVs, and fully electric cars) now make up 45% of the total value of passenger vehicle imports – up from just 8.2% in mid-2020. They also comprise 44% of all imported passenger vehicles by number.

HEVs now account for 32% of total passenger vehicle import value, and 35% of total passenger vehicle numbers – up from just 3.6% and 4.4% respectively five years ago.

Imports of vehicles for the transport of goods – such as trucks, vans, and utes – also dropped, falling 17% in value. However, hybrid-powered goods vehicles bucked the trend, rising 177% over the same period.

Meanwhile, electric micro-transport also appears to be slowing, with imports of e-bikes, e-scooters and e-mopeds falling 23% to $62 million.

“Even though there are more mechanical bicycles than electric micro-transport, the import value of electric micro-vehicles is still higher,” Ward says.

The number of mechanical bikes imported remains strong, with 169,814 arriving in New Zealand over the past 12 months – compared with 42,270 electric devices.