EV registrations hit 3000

The popularity of electric vehicles in New Zealand continues to grow, with more than 3000 now officially registered, transport minister Simon Bridges says.

This year there has been 517 EV registrations bringing the total number of EVs in New Zealand to 3005, he says.

That is already half way to achieving the 2017 target.

“While 1513 EVs were registered in New Zealand in 2016, in Australia only about 220 EVs were.

“This clearly demonstrates the success of the New Zealand Government’s EV programme at pushing up purchasing.

“There’s also been a big increase in the models and quantity of used EVs being brought into New Zealand. This means more EVs, at a range of prices, giving more choice to New Zealanders when they decide to step up on this,” Mr Bridges says.

The number of charging stations, including about 50 fast chargers available throughout the length of the country, with more coming, give EV drivers greater confidence on longer journeys, he says.

“Electric vehicles are the future. A move from petrol and diesel to low emission transport is a natural evolution. We are working hard to encourage this and it’s fantastic to see more and more New Zealanders recognising the benefits of EVs,” Bridges says.

The Government’s target is to double the fleet each year, reaching 64,000 EV registrations by the end of 2021.