EVs take 17.8% of the new vehicle market in July as petrol slips below one in five

Fully electric vehicles claimed 17.8% of New Zealand’s new light vehicle market in July, with 1994 registrations more than tripling the volume recorded in the same month last year.

Data compiled by EVDB from NZTA registrations shows EV share has climbed from just 5.4% in July 2025. Plug-in hybrids added another 13.2% of the market, up from 6.8% a year ago, meaning nearly one in three new light vehicles registered in July can be plugged in.

The mix on the other side of the ledger tells the same story. Hybrids remained the largest single fuel type at 29.4%, while diesel took 20.2% and petrol slipped to 19.4%, leaving petrol-only vehicles below one in five new registrations. Petrol and diesel volumes both fell by about a quarter year-on-year, and fuel price rises earlier in 2026 have added further momentum to the shift.

Model Y leads the EV charge

The Tesla Model Y was the country’s best-selling EV in July with 403 registrations, second only to the Ford Ranger across the whole market. The result follows the model’s 908-unit June, when it topped the overall sales charts, and reflects Tesla’s batch delivery pattern as ships arrive. Tesla’s 412 passenger registrations for the month were up from 124 a year earlier.

BYD was the biggest EV story by brand breadth. Its 622 passenger registrations, up 143% year-on-year, put it third among all passenger brands, led by the Atto 3 on 121 and Sealion 7 on 99. Add the 207 Shark 6 plug-in hybrid utes registered on the commercial side and the brand moved 829 vehicles in the month.

The newer Chinese arrivals are also finding buyers quickly. Zeekr recorded 153 registrations, almost all of them the 7X, which cracked the passenger top 10 on 151 units in the brand’s first year here. Geely posted 134, with the EX5 accounting for 111, and Dongfeng added 121.

Used Leaf keeps climbing as Tesla imports pause for breath

The used import side of the market added its own electric volume in July. The Nissan Leaf recorded 264 registrations, nearly double the 133 of a year ago, climbing to sixth on the used passenger model board. EVDB notes the Leaf accounts for around 80% of used import EV volume, with new EVs now outselling used imports by around five to one.

Used Tesla registrations settled back to 51 units after June’s surge, when easing shipping constraints gave importers their first real window to restock. That pattern suggests June was a catch-up rather than a new baseline, and the coming months will show where used Tesla supply settles.

New vehicle registration data is sourced from Waka Kotahi NZTA, with fuel type analysis from EVDB.