The turbulence in New Zealand’s political scene is affecting the automotive sector. It is likely that a right-leaning coalition will take control of government and end the country’s generous tax incentives for EVs and punitive taxes on fossil-fueled cars. This means that sales for EVs are likely to be strong till the end of the year, while sales of diesel and petrol cars will surge in the new year. Twenty-nine percent of new cars sold in New Zealand in October came with a plug (20% BEV, 9% PHEV). That’s down just slightly from last month (34%). Another 29% of the market were HEVs, 33% were pure petrol, and 8% were pure diesel. Over 10,000 light vehicles were sold in New Zealand in October 2023.
Overall, car sales are down 7% compared to this time last year, and the New Zealand economy…
Read the full article originally published at cleantechnica.com.