Join daily news updates from CleanTechnica on e-mail. Or follow us on Google News!
Bizarre issues are taking place within the Australian auto market in the meanwhile. In latest weeks, now we have seen the launch of a number of new electrical autos: the BYD Shark EREV ute (see here), the totally electrical Jeep Avenger, and the Deepal SO7 SUV made by Changan from China. Not solely that, however a number of extra will launch earlier than Christmas. I can’t sustain, however will do my finest to take a look at these vehicles in the end.
The mass media are doing optimistic feel-good spots on the finish of the information (in all probability as a result of carmakers are actually promoting their electrical choices on prime time TV), and but … and but … gross sales are falling. What’s going on? One thing bizarre within the neighbourhood. Are folks ready for the brand new specials? New autos? There’s a nice deal on in the meanwhile with the MG4 undercutting all different EVs and plenty of HEV autos at AUD$31,000. This has led to a quadrupling of gross sales. Has Worry of Change been overcome by Worry Of Lacking Out (FOMO)? If the MG4 is something go by, that is what occurs as costs fall. We additionally have to take into consideration Australia’s comparatively excessive inflation and cost-of-living pressures on the common family. These ought to ease subsequent 12 months as extensively anticipated curiosity cuts hit the market.
So, what’s the problem? Gross sales are falling, as numbers of obtainable autos rise and mass media turns optimistic. There should be a dam-breaking second at a while within the subsequent few months. Penetration of latest gross sales has fallen to the bottom level in 12 months, at 6.8% BEV and roughly 2.5% PHEV. A lot of the PHEVs bought have been the BYD Sea Lion 06, which could possibly be extra precisely categorised as an EREV (Prolonged Vary Electrical Car). More details on the Sea Lion 06 are here. Will probably be fascinating to see if BYD brings out extra EREVs in 2025.
Out of a market of round 100,000 autos bought per 30 days, October noticed 6414 BEVs bought in Australia. Roughly the identical as September, and considerably fewer than earlier within the 12 months. VFacts notes that over 1 million vehicles have bought in Australia this 12 months to this point. The highest three best-selling manufacturers have been: Toyota — 18,471 autos; Ford — 8,581 autos; and Mazda — 7,656 autos.
Thew prime promoting BEVs in Australia in October 2024:
- MG4 — 1,486
- Tesla Mannequin Y — 1,042
- Tesla Mannequin 3 — 422
- WORLD Atto 3 – 330
- SEAL WORLD – 313
- BMW iX1 — 238
- BMW iX2 — 160
- Volvo EX30 — 159
- GWM Ora – 154
- BMW i4 — 142
In accordance with Drive, greater than 40 new electrical autos are set to launch within the Australian market by the top of 2026. That’s virtually two a month. I’m going to be a busy boy. These embrace inexpensive fashions just like the Hyundai Inster; and costlier fashions just like the Polestar twins, 3 & 4; Zeekr; Xpeng; Skywell; Leapmotor (however not a budget one); and the listing goes on and on.
I’m maintaining a tally of the town EVs, utes, and supply vans. I believe now we have sufficient electrical SUVs, thanks very a lot. In any case, there can be numerous alternative and competitors for the Aussie greenback.
A daily correspondent opined to me that “the price cuts for new EVs are beginning to sound like specials offered by the big supermarkets, but may be more genuine. When originally announced, the Zeekr X SUV single-motor RWD version was priced below $60,000 and the dual-motor AWD version would be below $70,000 before on-road costs. However, on arrival, the prices have been reduced to $56,900 and $64,900 before on-road costs. Both are powered by the same 66 kWh nickel-cobalt-manganese battery pack, delivering up to 540 km of range in the RWD variant and 470 km in the AWD version. At these prices, these well-equipped cars will attract buyers.” Properly mentioned, Arthur.
Coming again to the “something weird in the neighbourhood department,” we just lately had a short energy outage. In fact, a few of the vocal, native yokels have been fast in charge electrical vehicles. The cream of the feedback on Fb included: “Too many EV’s been plugged in and caused a system overload. Happening regularly now, especially on Friday evenings.” The response was fast: “EVs only charge on Thursdays, so it can’t be them.”
“I was driving up Handsford Rd towards Bracken Ridge everything went black and saw a green light up the sky.” “ET coming back?” “The Green Lantern?” “I did see a silver DeLorean drive past after the loud bang and power loss.”
Some thought it may need a extra mundane trigger, like gum tree branches falling on energy strains. Personally, I lean in the direction of an assault by vampire possums and drop bears. It’s Australia, in any case.
New Zealand EV Gross sales
Over the ditch, in New Zealand October’s penetration charges stay steady, at about the identical fee as Australia, 6.8% BEV and about 4% PHEV.
The highest ten best-selling BEVs in New Zealand in October 2024 have been:
- Ford Mustang Mach-E — 143 gross sales
- WORLD Atto 3 – 59
- Tesla Mannequin Y — 48
- MG4 — 35
- Volkswagen ID.5 — 34
- Skoda Enyaq – 28
- Polestar 2 — 27
- Nissan Leaf — 26
- Let EV9 — 24
- Mini Aceman — 21
James from EVDB tells us that “The Ford Mustang Mach-E had a big month. Due, in part, to extremely competitive ‘dealer-only’ pricing. The Mach-E is the second most popular EV of 2024 (behind the Tesla Model Y).” One thing bizarre within the neighbourhood in New Zealand additionally with “2023 EVs still on dealer lots. Going into 2025 with ‘two-year-old’ ‘new’ cars is not a desired outcome.”
EVDB stories that the New Zealand passenger automotive fleet consists of about 2% BEVs. Vehicles that have been flying off the sellers’ tons in 2023 are actually not promoting regardless of some being priced beneath the rebated value final 12 months (beneath the earlier authorities’s beneficiant rebates). James affords this evaluation: “This suggests perception, sentiment, and signalling are key factors behind modest EV uptake in NZ. Perception: ‘EVs pay Road User Charges now — petrol/hybrid cars don’t — EVs sound expensive to run’. Sentiment: ‘I hear there’s been a downturn in EV sales, sounds like the wrong car to buy.’ Signalling: How government policy might set a direction for the market (e.g., weakening emissions standards sends a signal): ‘Clean cars are no longer something we need focus on.’”
2024 is quickly to finish and 2025 is simply across the nook. The world is shifting additional to the fitting and there’s chaos within the world auto trade. In Australia and New Zealand, there are indicators that the dam will quickly break and hopefully our roads will quickly seem like the quiet, combustion-free streets we noticed on our recent trip to China. I’ll have the ability to acknowledge the automotive manufacturers, a minimum of.
Chip in just a few {dollars} a month to help support independent cleantech coverage that helps to speed up the cleantech revolution!
Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Need to promote? Need to recommend a visitor for our CleanTech Speak podcast? Contact us here.
Join our every day e-newsletter for 15 new cleantech stories a day. Or join our weekly one if every day is just too frequent.
CleanTechnica makes use of affiliate hyperlinks. See our coverage here.
CleanTechnica’s Comment Policy
