MIA: NSW ANNOUNCEMENT POSITIVE BUT NOT HELPFUL

The Motor Vehicle Industry Association of New Zealand (MIA) chief executive David Crawford says the EV incentive announcement is a positive one but it’s not helpful for the New Zealand market right now.

Crawford says the announcement by NSW is positive as it sends a signal in addition to NZ’s that this part of the world is open to EVs and we want them.

“The impact on our market though is a different matter,” Crawford says. 

“In the short term it is unlikely to be any help as all the developed world markets are scrambling for EV’s. 

“Supply to markets is limited by availability and markets are currently being rationed supply. 

“In the medium to longer term, having a bigger right hand drive market for these vehicles has to be helpful as it means manufacturers will recover the cost of developing vehicles for the right hand market sooner. Our market in NZ is too small to make a difference,” he says. 

Peugeot New Zealand chief executive Chris Brown says the NSW EV initiative is a positive change.
“We welcome the EV incentives in making this technology more accessible for everyone, and the subsidy will help bring more consumer attention to the subject,” Brown says.
“Personally though, the New South Wales subsidy doesn’t go far enough in really pressuring manufacturers to unlock further supply.

“It’s limited to only 25,000 units and without a CO2 target and penalty there is little incentive for a manufacturer to divert supply away from closer and more profitable markets that do,” Brown says.
“I commend them on starting somewhere, but really this is a drop in the bucket.”