Tesla sales sharply down
“Tesla registration numbers are well down compared to prior years,” Motor Industry Association chief executive Aimee Wiley told the Herald.
“March 2025 registrations were down 37.2% compared to March 2024, and on a 2025 year-to-date basis, Tesla is down 30.2% compared to same time last year.”
In March last year, Tesla’s mainstay Model Y topped the charts 74 sales and 244 year-to-date..
This March, the Model Y managed only 69 sales and 145 year-to-date, putting it in third place.
March 2025 EV sales were topped by Tesla’s Model 3 – but in what is now a much more diffuse market, thanks in part to the arrival of a raft of keenly-priced Chinese brands – it managed to gain the number one slot with just 79 sales, 40% lower than the 134 it registered in March 2024.
New Zealand, like several countries, has seen attacks on Teslas amid a broader social media backlash over Tesla chief executive Elon Musk’s role as President Donald Trump’s cost-cutter-in-chief at DOGE – at least among the green-leaning demographic that’s traditionally been Tesla-friendly.
In a market filing this morning, Tesla said its worldwide sales fell 13% to 336,681 for the first three months of this year.
Part of the fall could have been Musk’s cratering popularity with buyers on the left.
But the Wall Street Journal noted that some buyers would have kept their wallets in their pockets as they wait for the 2025 refresh of the new Model Y.
Tesla has only just started to ramp up production. Stock of the new Model Y is not expected until May or June, and buyers sitting on the sidelines, or only just ordering now, will be aware that it’s more than $5000 cheaper than limited supplies of a special, limited-edition launch model.
Another factor is that in March 2024, EVs had yet to lose their Road User Charges exemption.
“We’re seeing a notable shift in the light commercial segment, with strong early adoption of new, lower-emission offerings,” the MIA’s Wiley said.
“Hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric light commercial vehicles accounted for 19.6% of registrations in March and 23% year-to-date.
“This signals a growing intention among businesses to diversify their fleets and explore practical alternatives that align with their emissions reduction goals and day-to-day operational needs.
An example of this new trend is the aforementioned BYD Shark 6, priced from $69,990, that combines a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine with a 29.6 kWh plug-in battery and electric motors.
The Shark 6 was fifth in light commercial sales with 169 registrations (and 539 sales year-to-date). BYD’s momentum notwithstanding, the segment remained dominated by the Ford Ranger (709 new registrations in March and 1787 year-to-date) and Toyota’s Hilux (669 in March and 1884 year-to-date).
Trump tariff impact
Speaking after Trump’s “Liberation Day” speech, Wiley said, “I am not expecting any NZ market disruption or vehicle pricing changes as a result of tariffs.”
There was limited scope for tit-for-tat.
“Supply of NZ-new vehicles from the US only make up approximately 3% of our vehicle imports on an annual basis,” Wiley said.
“In a highly competitive and price-sensitive automotive market such as NZ and Australia, also, vehicle pricing needs to remain competitive to maintain a market share. Because 97% of our vehicles will not be impacted by tariffs, the current price risk for our market is low.
“I expect that OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] and their distributors with product impacted – US makes and models – will most likely be considering country of origin supply changes to overcome tariff impacts and associated volume risks.”
Wiley said some car parts might get more expensive if highly specialised suppliers overseas were impacted by tariffs.
But on the upside, US tariffs could see Chinese carmakers look to sell more vehicles in other markets including New Zealand, increasing price competition.
Chris Keall is an Auckland-based member of the Herald’s business team. He joined the Herald in 2018 and is the technology editor and a senior business writer.
