• Geely Holding targets top-five global ranking by 2030

    Geely Holding Group is targeting global sales of more than 6.5 million vehicles and revenues exceeding 1 trillion RMB by 2030 as it aims to break into the top five global automakers. The Chinese group, which owns Volvo Cars, Zeekr, Polestar, Lotus, Lynk & Co, and Geely Auto, released its five-year strategic blueprint on February […]
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  • Ford to source from China for the first time in push to double NZ market coverage

    Ford to source from China for the first time in push to double NZ market coverage
    Ford Australia and New Zealand president and chief executive Fadi Mawal with the Transit City, Bronco Basecamp and Mustang at Ford Uncovered in Melbourne. Ford says it will double its coverage of the New Zealand market to more than 60% within three years and have over 90% of its volume in all-new or significantly refreshed […]
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  • Yoogo Fleet puts sales and operations under Riches as general manager

    Yoogo Fleet puts sales and operations under Riches as general manager
    Yoogo Fleet general manager Dave Riches. Yoogo Fleet has appointed Dave Riches to the new role of general manager, bringing the fleet lessor’s sales and operations functions under a single leader. Riches joined the Speirs Finance Group business 18 months ago as general manager operations and started in the expanded role on 1 September. He […]
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  • Petrol and diesel slip to 50.5% of Australian light vehicle sales

    Petrol and diesel slip to 50.5% of Australian light vehicle sales
    August 2026, passenger, SUV and light commercial. Source: VFACTS Pure internal combustion is now within half a percentage point of minority share in the Australian light vehicle market, with petrol and diesel accounting for 50.5% of August sales. Australian new vehicle sales reached 100,939 for the month, up 0.4% year-on-year, with year-to-date volume of 811,388 […]
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  • Volkswagen to halve model range and cut 50,000 more jobs as Chinese pressure bites

    Volkswagen to halve model range and cut 50,000 more jobs as Chinese pressure bites
    Volkswagen’s Emden plant, one of four German sites whose production cannot be guaranteed beyond the early 2030s. Image: Volkswagen Volkswagen Group will cut its model portfolio by around half by 2035 and shed around 50,000 further positions, under a restructuring its supervisory board approved unanimously on 3 September. The new cuts come on top of […]
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  • Labour signals higher carbon price with ETS review pledge

    Labour signals higher carbon price with ETS review pledge
    Labour leader Chris Hipkins. Labour would urgently review the Emissions Trading Scheme if elected, saying the carbon price is too low to drive emissions reductions, a position that points to a higher price being passed through at the pump. Leader Chris Hipkins and climate spokeswoman Deborah Russell say the review would look at ways to […]
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  • Miles Toyota adds sales to Christchurch Airport site with new dealership

    Miles Toyota adds sales to Christchurch Airport site with new dealership
    An artist’s impression of the Richard Pearse Road dealership. Image: Miles Toyota Miles Toyota will open a full-service dealership on Richard Pearse Road near Christchurch Airport in early 2027, adding vehicle sales to an operation that has been service-only for more than 30 years. The new store will offer new and used vehicle sales, finance, […]
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  • Musk congratulates Tesla as EVs outsell ICE vehicles in Australian first

    Musk congratulates Tesla as EVs outsell ICE vehicles in Australian first
    Electric vehicles have outsold petrol and diesel vehicles in Australia for the first time, prompting Tesla chief executive Elon Musk to congratulate the company’s local operation. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for a record 24.9% of all new vehicle sales in August, while BEVs and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) combined took a 36% share. The milestone […]
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  • Turners auctions Lawson’s race-worn Baku helmet

    Turners auctions Lawson’s race-worn Baku helmet
    Lawson’s signature on the Bell HP77 he wore at Baku. Image: Turners Turners is auctioning the helmet Liam Lawson wore at the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the first race-worn helmet the New Zealand Formula 1 driver has put up for sale. Lawson qualified third and finished fifth at Baku, his best result to date, in […]
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  • VIA welcomes ACT vehicle policy that mirrors its own submissions

    VIA welcomes ACT vehicle policy that mirrors its own submissions
    VIA chief executive Greig Epps. The Imported Motor Vehicle Industry Association has welcomed ACT’s transport policy, which commits the party to scrapping what it calls unrealistic vehicle emissions settings and opposing age limits on used imports, positions the association has been putting to officials for some time. ACT’s Keep New Zealand Moving policy, released on […]
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  • MITO reports 23% rise in on-job training enrolments

    MITO reports 23% rise in on-job training enrolments
    New enrolments in MITO on-job training programmes have increased 23% compared with the same period last year, bucking a wider decline in on-job learner numbers across New Zealand. The increase covers programmes in the automotive, commercial road transport, extractives, drilling, gas and logistics sectors. MITO says enrolments are expected to continue growing as its industries […]
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  • Vehicle arrivals fall sharply in August after July surge

    Vehicle arrivals fall sharply in August after July surge
    New Zealand vehicle imports fell sharply in August following a strong July, with 17,763 units hitting local wharves during the month, according to the latest New Zealand Customs figures. That was down 36.5% from the 27,980 vehicles imported in July, when arrivals reached their highest monthly level of the six-month period shown in the Customs […]
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  • Final call for 2026 Australasian Fleet Champions Awards entries

    Final call for 2026 Australasian Fleet Champions Awards entries
    Fleet operators and suppliers have one week left to enter the 2026 Australasian Fleet Champions Awards, with entries closing on Friday, September 11.
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  • Affordable EVs score five-star ANCAP safety ratings

    Affordable EVs score five-star ANCAP safety ratings
    Two of New Zealand’s most affordable electric vehicles have achieved five-star ANCAP safety ratings under tougher testing criteria introduced this year. The Geely EX2, priced from $32,990, and Leapmotor B05, from $43,990, are only the second and third vehicles assessed under ANCAP’s new 2026 Stages of Safety protocols. ANCAP chief executive Carla Hoorweg says the […]
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  • August vehicle figures distorted by shipping disruption, MIA says

    August vehicle figures distorted by shipping disruption, MIA says
    The Motor Industry Association (MIA) is urging caution when interpreting August’s new vehicle registration figures, saying typhoon-related shipping disruption affected vehicle arrivals and may have distorted individual brand and model results.
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  • Battery health gap of 13.5% between identical used EVs, study finds

    Battery health gap of 13.5% between identical used EVs, study finds
    The 40kWh Leaf recorded the lowest median battery health and the widest spread of any model in the study. Two used EVs of the same model and mileage can differ by as much as 13.5% in battery state of health, according to the largest independent study of used EV battery condition yet published, a spread […]
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  • Honda appoints Frankton Automotive as Queenstown service agent

    Honda appoints Frankton Automotive as Queenstown service agent
    Honda’s Service Store format, introduced in 2021. Image: Honda New Zealand Honda New Zealand has appointed Frankton Automotive 2025 Ltd as its authorised parts and service agent for Queenstown and Central Otago. The business begins trading as Honda Service Centre Queenstown from today, operating out of 170 Glenda Drive, Frankton. It is a parts and […]
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  • ChargeNet takes over six Unison and Centralines EV charging sites

    ChargeNet takes over six Unison and Centralines EV charging sites
    ChargeNet is taking ownership and operation of six electric vehicle charging sites previously operated by Unison Networks and Centralines across the central North Island. The sites are at Hastings City Car Park, Dickens Street Car Park in Napier, 1 Kaimanawa Street in central Taupō, Rangitaiki Lodge, McVicar Road on the Napier-Taupō Highway, and the Civic […]
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  • GWM extends Warriors sponsorship for another three years

    GWM extends Warriors sponsorship for another three years
    GWM New Zealand has extended its sponsorship of the One New Zealand Warriors for another three years, building on a partnership that began in 2024.
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  • Vehicle loan demand rises as households remain cautious

    Vehicle loan demand rises as households remain cautious
    Demand for vehicle finance is rising in New Zealand despite an overall decline in consumer credit demand, according to the latest data from credit bureau Centrix. Auto loan enquiries increased 7.4% year-on-year in August, while overall consumer credit demand fell 7.3%, suggesting households remain cautious about taking on new debt. The increase in vehicle finance […]
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  • Obituary: Tony Howard, the napkin deal that built Manukau Toyota

    Obituary: Tony Howard, the napkin deal that built Manukau Toyota
    Tony Howard and his daughter Ali Guise. Photo: NBR Tony Howard, founder of the Howard Group and the man behind what is now Manukau Toyota Group, died in the early hours of Monday 31 August. The group says his “determination, commercial instinct, independent spirit and belief in people” helped build one of New Zealand’s largest […]
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  • Reserve Bank lifts OCR to 2.75%

    Reserve Bank lifts OCR to 2.75%
    The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has lifted the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 25 basis points to 2.75%, saying a gradual withdrawal of monetary stimulus is needed to bring inflation back under control.
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  • GAC combines Oceania and UK operations under new regional structure

    GAC combines Oceania and UK operations under new regional structure
    GAC International has combined its Oceania and UK operations into a single strategic region as the Chinese carmaker develops its presence across right-hand-drive markets.
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  • Chinese brands near 20% of August new vehicle market

    Chinese brands near 20% of August new vehicle market
    Vehicle sales in August “defied economic and political uncertainty”, with a strong result driven by the passenger vehicle sector, the Motor Trade Association (MTA) says. Chinese brands continued their strong growth, accounting for 18.7% of new vehicle registrations during the month and closing in on a fifth of the market. BYD, Chery, Jaecoo and GWM […]
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  • MITO celebrates industry training leaders at inaugural summit and awards

    MITO celebrates industry training leaders at inaugural summit and awards
    More than 200 industry, government and education representatives have attended MITO New Zealand’s inaugural Industry Summit and Awards at Wellington’s Michael Fowler Centre.
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  • Used imports post best month since March as commercial run continues

    Used imports post best month since March as commercial run continues
    Used import registrations totalled 8599 units in August 2026, up 9.9% on the 7824 recorded in the same month last year. Passenger volumes made up the bulk of the total at 8156 registrations, up 9.1% year-on-year. The result is the second-highest month of 2026 so far, behind only March’s 8230, and improves on July’s 8085. […]
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  • Passenger gains lift August market as commercial slide continues

    Passenger gains lift August market as commercial slide continues
    New vehicle registrations totalled 12,216 units in August 2026, up 4.1% on the 11,736 recorded in the same month last year. As in July, the headline figure hides a split market, with a strong passenger result partly offset by another commercial decline. Passenger registrations rose 13% to 9137 units, from 8088 in August 2025, the […]
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  • Govt scraps 2027 fuel tax hike as election battle intensifies

    Govt scraps 2027 fuel tax hike as election battle intensifies
    The Government has cancelled its planned 12 cents per litre fuel excise increase from January 2027 just days after after Labour pledged to freeze the tax for three years if it wins November’s election. Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Transport Minister Chris Bishop have announced there will be no fuel excise increase next year, with […]
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  • Bapcor posts $431.6m loss amid turnaround push

    Bapcor posts $431.6m loss amid turnaround push
    Bapcor has reported a statutory net loss after tax of A$431.6 million (NZ$522.7m) for the year to June 30, as significant impairment charges weighed on its FY26 result. The ASX-listed automotive parts group, which operates Bapcor New Zealand as well as its Australian trade, retail and network businesses, recorded A$442.4m in post-tax significant items, primarily […]
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  • TrailLite sells six Roadcraft motorhomes sight unseen ahead of debut

    TrailLite sells six Roadcraft motorhomes sight unseen ahead of debut
    The Roadcraft, TrailLite’s new locally built motorhome brand. TrailLite has sold six of its new Roadcraft motorhomes sight unseen, ahead of the locally built model’s public debut at the NZ Motorhome, Caravan & Leisure Show at Hamilton’s Mystery Creek from 18 September. Roadcraft is an entirely new brand of New Zealand-built motorhomes from the 70-year-old […]
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