Tesla CEO Elon Musk during the opening of a Tesla plant in Gruenheide, Germany in March 2022. Photo / Getty Images
Tesla CEO Elon Musk during the opening of a Tesla plant in Gruenheide, Germany in March 2022. Photo / Getty Images
Total vehicle registrations for March were down 23.8 per cent over March 2022, which translates to 5007 fewer sales, the Motor Industry Association says.
But electric vehicles saw a 63 per cent jump on March 2022 to 2656 sales, fuelled by the ongoing clean car discount, the newer phenomenon ofbanks offering 1 per cent “good energy” loans, and Tesla’s discounting (although the latter has already hurt second-hand EV pricing).
Telsa’s Model Y was the top-selling passenger or SUV vehicle in NZ for March 2023 full stop with 761 new registrations.
Another EV, BYD’s Atto 3, came in third in the category with 617 registrations (between them sat Hyundai’s Tuscon, which comes in petrol, diesel and hybrid versions, on 648).
In total sales, the Model Y came in third as two SUVs (the Ford Ranger - 1333 and Toyota Hilux 834) took the top slots.
March last year saw a“dirty vehicle” sales bulge as buyers raced to beat the Clean Car Discount fee - otherwise known as the ute tax, MIA chief executive Mark Stockdale says.
BYD's Atto 3. Photo / File
“Year-on-year comparisons illustrate the effect government policy can have in changing purchaser behaviour. March 2022 light commercial vehicle sales were the strongest ever, but have since struggled to regain strong performance with the impact of the CCD fees most of these vehicles now attract,” says Mark Stockdale.
There have also been two private sector moves that have influenced buyer behaviour: Discounting, led by Tesla, and major banks offering 1 per cent three-year loans for customers who’re buying an EV, a home charger, or solar panels (which can be used to charge an electric car for “free”).
The March figures also revealed the rise and rise of Chinese EV maker BYD, which has now eclipsed Tesla in its home market.
A change in the local Tesla pecking order saw the newer Model Y eclipse the Model 3.
Total pure electric passenger vehicle sales for March 2023 were 2637, a 63 per cent rise over 1716 in March 2022.
Pure EVs represented 16 per cent of total new vehicle registrations of 15,997 for the month.
Year-to-date pure EV sales now stand at 4590 - 61 per cent ahead of this time last year when the figure stood at 2828.
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Beyond pure EV sales, March saw 2503 hybrid electric vehicles registered against 496 in March 2022 (a month that saw a big drop-off in hybrid sales as the Clean Car Discount pulled buyers toward pure EVs). The top models were the Toyota RAV4 (455), the hybrid versions of the Honda Jazz (245) and Suzuki Swift (211).
There were 515 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) registered in March, against 431 in March 2022. The top models were the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (176), Kia Sorento (131 units) and the MG HS (31).
