On April 15, Smart launched its premium all-electric SUV range in New Zealand market through a partnership with Armstrong's, a local automotive group. Prices for the smart #1 start at NZD 64,990 and go up to NZD 79,990, while the smart #3 ranges from NZD 69,990 to NZD 84,990 (plus on-road costs). Both are available i

On March 10, Geely Auto officially launched its next-generation SUV, the Geely EX5, in the Australian and New Zealand markets. By the end of 2025, Geely plans to establish 24 dealer outlets in the ANZ market. The EX5 has features like Geely Short Blade Battery Technology, GEA Global New Energy Architecture, and an 11

Announced on November 26, 2024, Geely Auto has brought Australian dealers and New Zealand partners together to hold a Strategic Partnership Signing Ceremony, marking its official entry into the Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) markets. 
Geely Auto shared its localized brand strategy and product launch plan with its pa

On October 2, 2024, ChargeNet, New Zealand said the acquisition of a majority shareholding in the company by Genesis Energy would accelerate the launch of the public EV charging network. This supports the government’s goal of having a national network of 10,000 chargers by 2030.
Genesis Energy announced on October 1

On June 27, Smart announced a new partnership in New Zealand with Armstrong's, an independent automotive group. Armstrong has three Mercedes-Benz dealerships in Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin and later on, it will feature smart showrooms in a shop-in-shop format. The collaboration will bring premium all-electric

On November 22, Euro NCAP and ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program) signed a new MoU, reinforcing their collaborative efforts that began in 1999 to align test protocols and results. The updated agreement reflects the evolution of both organizations over the past three decades, adapting to technological adva

On November 3, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles unveiled the second-generation Crafter Van with extensive technical updates. Pre-sales for the updated Crafter begin in Europe in April 2024, followed by other markets i.e., Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America.
The updated Crafter comes in different wei

On October 17, Polestar announced that it has selected Evnex, a New Zealand-based manufacturer of charging equipment, as its preferred home-charging hardware provider in Australia.
Evnex uses smart-charging technology to allow customers to prioritize solar or grid energy, account for the tariffs and different energy

Announced on October 2, 2023, ChargeNet, Aotearoa New Zealand’s only nationwide EV charging network, planned to build one of New Zealand’s fastest and largest EV charging hubs in Tauriko, Tauranga which hosts around 26,000 vehicles per day on average. The new charging hub is jointly funded by ChargeNet and EECA, with

On September 19, Stora Enso acquired stakes in CarbonScape. CarbonScape has developed carbon-negative biographite made from wood, engineered for use in lithium-ion batteries to replace mined graphite or fossil-based synthetic graphite. At up to 50% of the weight of the lithium-ion battery, graphite is the biggest com

On August 3, 2023, Inchcape, the exclusive New Zealand importer and distributor of Subaru Corporation’s vehicles since 1992, announced the completion of the acquisition of the distribution, retail, and vehicle leasing operations of New Zealand-based Great Lake Motor Distributors Group.
Inchcape welcomed LDV (MAXUS, t

LG Energy Solution Ltd. (LG Energy Solution) announced that it has signed a contract with an Australian anode material manufacturer, Novonix Ltd., to jointly develop artificial graphite. Under the deal, the South Korean company will purchase over 50,000 tons of artificial graphite for ten years. Novonix has headquart

On November 8, Luxembourg Trade and Invest announced that Self-driving bus shuttle manufacturer Ohmio Automotion Ltd, with roots in Australia and New Zealand, will open its first European office in Luxembourg. After winning a key contract with national railway company CFL, Ohmio will use Luxembourg as its base for ad

Announced on March 4, 2022, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation will launch the all-new Outlander plug-in hybrid SUV on March 6 in New Zealand, the first market to introduce the model outside of Japan. Since this model’s pre-orders in New Zealand started in November 2021, the number of orders has exceeded expectations with

On January 11, BOC, a subsidiary of Linde plc, and Foton Mobility announced a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) agreement to develop the hydrogen bus sector in Australia and New Zealand. BOC and Foton Mobility will work together to develop operational and commercial hydrogen bus models across the entire supply ch

Reported on November 9, 2021, Geely Auto Group recently presented its “Smart Geely 2025” strategy, which outlines a number of initiatives aimed at boosting sales to 3.65 million units in annual sales starting from 2025.
The company also confirmed that Lynk & Co will expand its global presence by entering Malaysia, R

Reported on October 15, 2021, the Haval H6 Hybrid is reportedly to go on sale in Australia and New Zealand from early 2022.
A source said this right-hand drive SUV will be supplied directly from China as opposed to Great Wall Motors’ (GWM) new plant in Thailand. Both its price and full specifications for Australia m

On June 13, New Zealand Government announced new rebates for electric (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) with up to NZD 8,625 for new vehicles and NZD 3,450 for used.
Rebates will begin from July 1 while fees on higher emitting vehicles to help fund the scheme won’t begin until 1 January 2022. The rebates wil

Announced on May 26, 2021, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) will launch the Eclipse Cross PHEV model in New Zealand on June 1, with the launch in Australia to follow in July. The addition of the Eclipse Cross PHEV model to the lineup reflects MMC’s continued commitment to promote electrification focusing on plug-i