Fuel crisis demands NZ control its energy destiny, EV fans say
Wednesday, 18 March 2026
As the global fuel crisis siphons money from wallets, electric vehicle (EV) advocates are moving the debate to the need for New Zealand to take more control of its own energy needs.
Countries such as Australia and China with less ability to create sustainable energy, are moving more swiftly to electrify than we are, says Drive Electric chair Kirsten Corson.
New Zealand spends $8 billion–$9 billion annually importing fossil fuels despite having 86% renewable electricity, so it is beholden to fossil fuels and the related geopolitics.
Consumers appear to be seeing the electric light too, based on Trade Me reporting a 142% spike in searches for electric vehicles (EVs) in March so far compared to February.
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Corson is adamant money shipped overseas to pay for fuel imports could be retained here, yet the Government is moving in the opposite direction to the likes of Australia, she says.
It is critical the Government retains the Clean Car Standard, she says.
Politicians must find ways to encourage electrification to ensure long-term fuel security, economic resilience and improve the quality of the vehicle fleet.
With New Zealand possessing one of the 'oldest and dirtiest' fleets in the OECD averaging 15 years per vehicle - policy decisions made will have long ramifications.
“The cars we bring in now will affect the next generation beyond us. They'll be breathing in those emissions … we have a competitive advantage for getting to energy independence, and right now, we're figuring out energy security is really, really important,” she says.
China is seeing one in two new cars sold as electric, New Zealand sits at roughly one in 10. It was one in four, before the incoming National-led coalition government axed the clean car subsidy in December 2023.
“We want to see a commitment not to remove the Clean Car Standard, and for political parties to look for ways to encourage electrification. That is what gives us fuel security.”
Electric vehicles make economic sense, she says. A second hand Nissan Leaf can cost less than $10,000, in the ballpark of the average Kiwi car spend of $7000, she tells The Post.
'If you're driving a 6.9 litre petrol car, right right now, it's costing around $20 per 100 kilometres … if you've got an EV and you're charging it off peak at night, it's costing you around $3.“
Since the oil crisis loomed, interest in EVs had spiked James Foster, the founder and creator of EVDB (Electric Vehicle Database NZ) says.
Most interest centred on the lowest-priced EVs. As well 440 new EVs were registered up to March 15. A typical full month of EV sales was around 635.
Those findings dovetailed with what she was being told, Corson says.
'We are seeing a massive spike in EV sales and interest. Across the market, new and used, inquiries are up by over 30%. It’s often people who have been thinking about it for a while, and now the crisis is pushing them to actually do something about it.“
Trade Me data showed a jump from 50,000 EV searches in the first half of February to nearly 125,000 in the first half of March.
Brendan Hall, Head of Motors at Trade Me, says the end of the Clean Car Scheme created a huge spike in demand previously.
“We saw EV searches peak at 111,000 in October 2023 as buyers rushed to take advantage of the rebate before it disappeared,” he says.
“The current pressure of fuel prices has Kiwi drivers seriously considering whether an electric model would suit their needs.”
The top EVs searched for were the budget Nissan Leaf and mid-level Hyundai Kona, with BYD, Zeekr, and Dongfeng the fastest growing brands.
“It's clear the interest covers a whole range of electric vehicles on site,” Hall says.
A 2015 Tesla Model S recently was the most viewed and watchlisted EV, while there was a 2013 Nissan Leaf with an asking price of $2500 “so there really is something for everybody”.
On Trade Me the average EV listing price was around $39,000.
Currently, 70% of new cars in New Zealand are purchased by businesses, Corson says. If they didn’t buy electric then the used car market would see fewer EV options.
'It shows the importance that business makes into creating our secondhand market,' the advocate notes.
“While giants like Fonterra continue to decarbonise their fleets to meet international climate disclosures, there are growing concerns that the public sector is lagging.”