Imports of fully electric vehicles (EVs) into New Zealand have taken a sharp dip, falling by more than half in value over the year to June 2025. The latest data from Stats NZ shows a big shift in how drivers are choosing their cars.
The total value of passenger vehicle imports dropped to $4.9 billion, down 23 per cent or $1.4 billion, compared with the same time last year. Fully electric cars saw the biggest fall, down 57 per cent to $395 million.
“Electric vehicle imports saw the largest decline, down by $518 million,” said Viki Ward, international accounts spokesperson at Stats NZ.
But while EVs slowed down, hybrids held strong. Imports of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) rose by nearly 4 per cent, reaching $1.6 billion. These were the most imported type of passenger car for the year, overtaking petrol cars in the 1.5 to 3 litre engine range.
Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) didn’t fare as well, with import values falling 38 per cent to $234 million.
Why the Shift?
Since 2020, New Zealand has seen a big jump in cleaner vehicles coming into the country. Four years ago, reduced-emission cars made up just 8.2 per cent of vehicle imports by value. Today, that number has jumped to 45 per cent. In terms of vehicle count, nearly 44 per cent of all passenger cars brought in during the year to June 2025 were hybrids, plug-ins, or fully electric.
HEVs now make up 32 per cent of the total import value and 35 per cent of passenger vehicle numbers. This shows buyers may be leaning towards hybrids as a more affordable and flexible step toward cleaner transport.
Commercial Vehicle Imports Also Down
Imports of vehicles used for transporting goods, like trucks, vans, and Utes, also saw a drop, falling 17 per cent over the year. However, there was a bright spot: hybrid commercial vehicles jumped 177 per cent in value, showing growing interest in cleaner work vehicles.
Bicycles Holding Strong, E-Scooters Losing Speed
It’s not just cars feeling the shift. Electric micro-transport, like e-bikes, e-scooters, and e-mopeds, dropped 23 per cent to $62 million. In contrast, imports of regular bicycles grew by 14 per cent, reaching $53 million.
While fewer electric micro-vehicles were imported, only 42,270 compared with 169,814 standard bikes, they still had a higher overall value.
“Even though there are more mechanical bicycles than electric micro-transport, the import value of electric micro-vehicles is still higher,” said Ward.
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