New Zealand’s shift towards electrified vehicles accelerated in August, with battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles accounting for almost a quarter of all new passenger vehicle registrations.

A total of 9,136 passenger vehicles were registered in August, up 13.1% compared with the same month last year.

The biggest gains came from battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), with both powertrains recording sales increases of more than 170% year on year. BEV registrations jumped 172.5%, while PHEV registrations increased 179.1%.

That lifted their combined share of the passenger vehicle market to 23.9%, up from just 9.8% in August 2025.

The shift is even more pronounced when looking at the year-to-date figures. BEVs now account for 17.0% of passenger vehicle registrations in 2026, compared with 5.9% over the same period last year. PHEVs have reached 10.9%, more than double their 5.1% share in 2025.

Combined, BEVs and PHEVs have captured 27.9% of the passenger market year to date, compared with 12.3% at the same point last year.

The increase has come despite a broader new-vehicle market affected by shipping disruption caused by typhoons in Asia.

The Motor Industry Association (MIA) said some vehicles were delayed during August and arrived in the final days of the month, meaning individual brand and model results should be treated with caution.

However, the underlying electrification trend is clear.

“The passenger market continued to strengthen, increasingly supported by battery electric and plug in hybrid vehicles,” said MIA chief executive Aimee Wiley.

While BEVs and PHEVs are growing rapidly, conventional hybrids remain the largest electrified powertrain in New Zealand.

Non-plug-in hybrids accounted for 34.4% of passenger registrations in August, down from 38.2% a year earlier. Toyota continues to dominate this segment, with the Toyota Corolla Cross recording 597 registrations in August, followed by the Toyota RAV4 with 401 and Toyota Yaris Cross with 222.

Across the entire passenger market, hybrids accounted for 32.8% of registrations year to date.

Despite their strong performance, however, the combined share of BEVs and PHEVs is now approaching the size of the conventional hybrid market.

ICE vehicles – petrol, diesel and LPG – made up just 41.7% of passenger registrations in August, down sharply from 52.0% a year earlier.

Year to date, ICE vehicles account for 39.3% of passenger registrations, compared with 60.6% during the same period in 2025.

The BYD Atto 3 was the best-selling BEV in New Zealand during August, with 107 registrations and 10.2% of the passenger vehicle market. It was followed by the Tesla Model Y with 81 registrations.

The MG S5 recorded 69 registrations, while the BYD Sealion 7 managed 56 and the Jaecoo J5 51.

Year to date, the Model Y remains comfortably ahead with 2,392 registrations, accounting for 20.3% of all BEV passenger registrations.

The BYD Atto 3 is second on 716 registrations, followed by the Jaecoo J5 on 487, BYD Sealion 7 on 408, and MG S5 on 316.

PHEV sales have followed a similar trajectory, with 1,136 registrations in August compared with 407 in the same month last year.

The Toyota RAV4 was the clear leader for the month, with 485 registrations, followed by the GWM Haval H6 on 79 and Jaecoo J7 on 68. The Geely Starray EM-i recorded 50 registrations, while the BYD Sealion 6 had 45.

The year-to-date picture is even stronger, with 7,541 PHEVs registered in 2026, compared with 2,891 at the same point in 2025.

The MIA figures show PHEVs now account for 10.9% of all passenger registrations year to date.

Overall, 69,211 passenger vehicles have been registered in New Zealand during the first eight months of 2026. Of those, 11,769 are BEVs, 7,541 are PHEVs and 22,724 are conventional hybrids.

That means more than 42,000 passenger vehicles registered so far this year have some form of electrification, while fewer than 27,200 have been petrol, diesel or LPG-only vehicles.

The trend represents a major change from just 12 months ago, when ICE vehicles still represented more than 60% of passenger registrations.

With electrified vehicles now accounting for more than three-fifths of the passenger market year to date, August's figures provide another indication that New Zealand's new-car market is undergoing a fundamental shift in the types of vehicles buyers are choosing.

EVs and PHEVs now make up more than a quarter of NZ new-car sales

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