Leaf lifts EV numbers

May was the biggest month ever for the Nissan Leaf with 338 registered in New Zealand.

That’s helped electric vehicles pass the 8000 target for this year six months early.

In fact, 8184 electric and hybrid vehicles were recorded by the Ministry of Transport by the end of May. That confirms a comment made at the Drive Electric white paper launch on May 29, reported in EVtalk, that EVs had gone beyond 8000.

The 8184 EVs comprise mostly used light pure electrics at 4434 – up 359 on April, which includes the Leafs.

New light pure electric comprised 1550 vehicles – up 75 on the previous month, while new light plug-in hybrids were 71 up at 1486.

Used light plug-in hybrids recorded 632 – 68 up, and heavy EVs remained the same as for April with 82.

The 8184 figure is more than double the 3654 EV fleet size recorded as at last May.

The fleet is expected to double each year, with 16,000 set for the end of 2019.

That puts New Zealand well on track to reach the Government’s goal of 64,000 EVs on our roads by the end of 2021.