Battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle registrations in New Zealand recorded triple-digit growth in August while internal combustion vehicles fell to less than half of new passenger registrations.
A total of 9,136 passenger vehicles were registered during August, up 13.1 per cent compared with the same month last year, despite shipping disruptions caused by typhoons in Asia.
BEV and PHEV sales accelerate
Battery-electric vehicle (BEV) registrations increased 172.5 per cent year-on-year in August, while plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) registrations climbed 179.1 per cent.
Together, BEVs and PHEVs accounted for 23.9 per cent of the passenger vehicle market during the month, compared with just 9.8 per cent in August 2025.
The year-to-date figures show that BEVs represent 17 per cent of passenger registrations so far in 2026, while PHEVs account for 10.9 per cent.
Combined, the two plug-in powertrains now represent 27.9 per cent of the passenger market, more than double their 12.3 per cent share at the same point last year.
Motor Industry Association (MIA) chief executive Aimee Wiley said the figures showed electrified vehicles were playing an increasingly important role in the market.
“The passenger market continued to strengthen, increasingly supported by battery electric and plug in hybrid vehicles,” Ms Wiley said.
Hybrids remain the largest electrified category
Conventional hybrids continued to lead the pack with 34.4 per cent of August passenger registrations.
Toyota dominated the category, with the Corolla Cross recording 597 registrations, followed by the RAV4 with 401 and the aYaris Cross with 222.
Across the first eight months of the year, conventional hybrids represented 32.8 per cent of passenger registrations.
Combined with BEVs and PHEVs, electrified vehicles now account for more than three-fifths of New Zealand’s year-to-date passenger market.
| Powertrain | 2026 YTD registrations | 2026 YTD share |
| Conventional hybrid | 22,724 | 32.8% |
| Battery electric | 11,769 | 17.0% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 7,541 | 10.9% |
| ICE | Fewer than 27,200 | 39.3% |
| Total passenger market | 69,211 | 100% |
The change has come at the expense of conventional petrol, diesel and LPG vehicles. ICE models represented 41.7 per cent of passenger registrations in August, down from 52 per cent a year earlier.
Year-to-date, their share has fallen to 39.3 per cent, compared with 60.6 per cent over the corresponding period in 2025.
BYD leads August BEV sales
The BYD Atto 3 was New Zealand’s best-selling BEV in August with 107 registrations, followed by the Tesla Model Y with 81.
The MG S5 recorded 69 registrations, ahead of the BYD Sealion 7 with 56 and Jaecoo J5 with 51.
However, the Model Y remains the clear BEV leader year to date, with 2,392 registrations and accounting for 20.3 per cent of the battery-electric passenger market.
PHEV registrations reached 1,136 in August, up from 407 a year earlier. The Toyota RAV4 led the category with 485 registrations, followed by the GWM Haval H6 with 79 and Jaecoo J7 with 68.
Across the year to date, 7,541 PHEVs have been registered, compared with 2,891 during the first eight months of 2025.
Shipping disruption clouds monthly comparisons
The MIA cautioned that August’s individual brand and model results were affected by shipping delays associated with typhoons in Asia. Some delayed vehicles did not arrive until the final days of the month, meaning individual results should be interpreted carefully.
Despite those disruptions, the broader powertrain figures point to a substantial change in buying patterns. Of the 69,211 passenger vehicles registered through August, more than 42,000 were BEVs, PHEVs or conventional hybrids.
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