New Zealand's electric vehicle registrations have soared, with the transport ministry ramping up the construction of charging stations

David Parker, New Zealand's transport minister, recently said that the number of electric vehicle registrations in the country has increased significantly, with electric vehicles accounting for more than half of newly registered imported vehicles. The average carbon emissions of newly registered vehicles are also at a historic low, at about 126 grams per kilometer. The latest statistics show that the number of electric vehicle registrations in New Zealand has now exceeded 150,000, a year-on-year increase of 179%.

The sales surge of electric vehicles is due to the commitment and policies of Christopher Luxon, the leader of the National Party, on electric vehicle charging stations. He said that the National Party would invest 257 million New Zealand dollars in building 10,000 charging stations nationwide over the next four years, and revive the "very successful" Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) financing model, which combines public and private sector investment.      Luxon also reiterated the National Party's commitment to reducing the "ute tax" implemented by the Labour Party, which is a tax on polluting vehicles to subsidize discounts for clean energy electric vehicles. Luxon said: "The electric vehicle charging station infrastructure is part of the National Party's plan to rebuild the economy. After six years of Labour Party mismanagement, the economy is in recession, wages are not keeping up with inflation, and mortgage rates are hitting New Zealanders' pockets. The National Party will provide the infrastructure that New Zealand needs for the future and get our economy back on track." He also said that about 20% of New Zealand's total emissions comes from transportation, so promoting electric vehicles is crucial to meeting climate change commitments. "If New Zealanders are worried about whether they can charge their electric vehicles when and where they need it, they won't switch to electric vehicles. Under the leadership of the Labour government, investment in public electric vehicle infrastructure has not kept up with the growth in the number of electric vehicles. New Zealand is now the country with the fewest public charging stations per electric vehicle in the OECD." Luxon also expressed hope that renewable energy sources would be doubled. National Party transport spokesman Simeon Brown said that more competition was needed to reduce gasoline prices.

Meanwhile, a survey by the Energy Efficiency Protection Agency found that 62% of car owners were encouraged to buy electric vehicles earlier by preferential subsidy policies, and the registration of hybrid vehicles has also increased significantly. Data shows that since July this year, the proportion of new electric vehicle registrations in New Zealand has risen to 53%, while gasoline and diesel car sales have fallen by 30%.

Over the past two years, the government has invested a total of 279 million New Zealand dollars to pay for 156,000 subsidies.

New Zealand is also increasing the import of overseas-branded electric vehicles. According to data released by the New Zealand Automobile Industries Association in July this year, BYD ATTO 3 accounted for 10% of electric vehicle sales in New Zealand, with significant competitive advantages. This year, BYD ATTO 3 was also awarded the "New Zealand Best Annual Car Award" by the New Zealand Automotive Writers' Association. "BYD's 'Blade Battery' technology has advantages such as long driving range, high energy density, and long battery life, making it popular with more New Zealand people," said Warren Wilson, Manager of BYD New Zealand. The introduction of more Chinese electric vehicles will help New Zealand achieve green transportation goals.