We are at a pivotal moment for New Zealand's transport sector
New Zealand’s EV fleet has passed 100,000 vehicles, and momentum is building fast: EVs took 31.3% of new vehicle registrations in June 2026, up sharply from a year earlier. Battery electric and plug-in hybrid models are now offered across almost every vehicle segment, and New Zealand’s electricity grid — already over 88% renewable — gives us a genuine opportunity to turn transport electrification into a source of energy independence, insulating households from volatile global fuel prices.
But the policy settings that got us this far have weakened. The Clean Car Standard was scaled back in 2025/26, and New Zealand is now one of only a handful of countries worldwide without an effective vehicle emissions standard. Heavy freight — just 4% of the fleet but around 31% of transport emissions — still has no equivalent regulatory lever. Every market that has achieved rapid EV uptake has done so by pulling supply, demand, and infrastructure levers together, and New Zealand needs a renewed, bipartisan commitment to do the same.
Every year our board refreshes our strategy to keep Drive Electric agile in a fast-changing transport landscape. Here are our priorities for 2026/2027.
We are pushing for supply, demand, and infrastructure to move together
Drive Electric remains New Zealand’s leading independent voice for e-mobility, and our 2026/2027 Manifesto sets out a clear strategic logic: supply side plus demand side plus infrastructure equals uptake.
This means:
- On the supply side, we’re calling for the Clean Car Standard to be reinstated and aligned with Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, and for a pathway toward a CO2-based heavy vehicle emissions standard so New Zealand isn’t left behind as OEMs shift their best models elsewhere.
- On the demand side, we’re advocating for FBT exemptions and salary sacrifice schemes for light EVs, accelerated depreciation and RUC exemptions for heavy EVs, and reforms that make emissions — not just distance — part of how road user charges are calculated.
- On infrastructure, we’re pushing for 10,000 public chargers by 2030, Right to Charge legislation for tenants, EV-ready requirements in the Building Code, and co-funded high-power charging along state highway freight corridors. New Zealand’s first vehicle-to-grid pilot launches in Queenstown in 2026, in partnership with EECA and Rewiring Aotearoa.
We’re also working on emerging issues like battery safety standards for e-bikes and e-scooters, and closing fiscal gaps for e-mopeds, as micromobility becomes one of the fastest-growing parts of the e-mobility ecosystem.
A key part of our strategy: supporting and growing our membership
Drive Electric now represents more than 70 members spanning the full e-mobility ecosystem — automotive OEMs, energy companies, charging infrastructure providers, fleet and finance businesses, and micromobility operators. We operate on three pillars: advocacy through evidence-based policy submissions, education through industry-leading whitepapers and our annual State of the Nation report, and connection through collaboration across the sector.
By continuing to grow our membership and strengthen our value to businesses navigating the transition, we expand our influence and our insight into the full EV ecosystem — sharpening our effectiveness as New Zealand’s leading e-mobility advocate.
Help influence the industry
Our members represent the full spectrum of the electric vehicle ecosystem in NZ. By supporting Drive Electric, these companies are helping to create a more sustainable transport future for New Zealand.
If you have valuable insight, or want to become part of the movement, become a member today.