Ford’s ute lost its usual market leadership last month, though it still dominated the one-tonne sector.

THAT an electric car eligible for the Clean Car rebate topped last month while a long run of overall favouritism for a diesel ute that incurs a penalty finally ended is no surprise to the industry.

The Motor Industry Association says the outcome of last month’s light vehicle registrations activity was far from unexpected. Now the question is: What will the period to Christmas - if not not until next February (January traditionally being a quiet month) - bring?

The Wellington-based distributors’ representative body says the data showing just 10,909 vehicles being sold in August - a 26.7 percent decline on the same month last year (when 14,878 found homes) - is as much a reflection of continued uncertainty about the future of the Clean Car Discount as it is of broader economic condition, with so much hanging on the outcome of this month’s general election.

The result is 20.0 percent lower than the monthly average for 2022 (13,641 units), and 12.4 percent lower than the monthly average so far in 2023. 

MIA chief executive Aimee Wiley says the uncertainty of this period “considerably impacted consumer demand in September” with both passenger and commercial sales “soft”.

Some 8150 passenger cars and sports utilities were registered in September, down 23.1 percent/ 2451 units on the same month last year. Only 2759 light- and heavy commercial vehicles were shifted. That’s a 35.5 percent drop on September 2022. 

Toyota maintained its perpetual market leadership with a 24.2 percent market share and 2644 units sold, Ford next with 10.3 percent and 1125 units then Mitsubishi with 9.2 percent/ 1006 units.

The Tesla Model Y  which achieves the $7015 rebate in its cheaper formats but has been low-key for months was the top selling passenger car, with 697 units. Toyotas came next; the RAV4 sitting in second on 683 and the Yaris Cross securing third place, with 316 units.

Ford Ranger’s run as the top-selling new vehicle in any given month ended and it had a quieter month than most, with a 605 registrations’ catch, yet it still maintained as the most popular one-tonne utility. 

Toyota Hilux held position as the runner-up, with 540 units, and Mitsubishi’s Triton, now in its runout phase, secured 198 units. 

The one-tonne diesel ute sector was expected to quieten down, with thought consumers will now await to see if a change of Government comes; if National arrives as the new power, then the Clean Discount that adds thousands to the utes’ recommended retails is promised to be gone by Christmas.

So will the up-to-$7015 Government cheque going to buyers of full and assisted electrics selling for less than $80,000. The industry also predicted a rush on these from consumers eager to secure that money and that’s exactly what seems to have occurred, with battery electric vehicle sales totalling 2067 units. 

What the MIA has described as a spike resulted in the BEV segment share jumping from an average of 13.9 percent (January 2022) to a “staggering” 24.9 percent in September 2023.

Aside from Model Y, the other popular electrics of note were the MG4, with 250 units, and the BYD Atto 3, showing 136 registrations.

The 2190 hybrid vehicle accrual for the month represented a 26.9 percent slice of the passenger segment. Plug-in hybrid models account for 768 registrations; 9.4 percent of the passenger segment), with Mitsubishi’s Outlander and Eclipse Cross models achieving 220 and 157 registrations respectively, with the Mini Countryman on third with 69.

Mild hybrid favourites were Toyota RAV4 (495), Toyota Corolla (269) and Ford Escape (154).