Automotive news

• They don't need oil changes or spark plugs but is it cheaper to run an EV?

  20-08-2026 21:42 via abc.net.au
  
  The electric vehicle share of Australia's car market has almost tripled in the first half of 2026 amid the cost-of-living crisis and fuel shock. Here's what you need to know about maintenance and running costs.
  
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• Associations back Clean Vehicle Standard call, turn focus to 2028 targets

  21-08-2026 05:44 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The industry’s three major associations have backed the Government’s decision to retain the Clean Vehicle Standard, with all three now turning their attention to the stage two fight that matters: where the 2028 targets land. The Motor Industry Association, Imported Motor Vehicle Industry Association and Motor Trade Association all say retention is the right call, […]
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• Insurers will act on FMA add-on findings, says FSF

  21-08-2026 05:20 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The industry body representing New Zealand’s finance and insurance sector says its members will make changes where needed in response to the Financial Markets Authority’s review of add-on insurance, while defending the value the products deliver for vehicle buyers. The Financial Services Federation’s insurance provider members are considering the findings of the regulator’s thematic review […]
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• ‘Policy certainty matters’: BYD welcomes Clean Vehicle Standard retention

  21-08-2026 04:19 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The first industry reaction to the Government’s decision to retain the Clean Vehicle Standard has landed, with BYD Auto New Zealand saying the move sends an important signal to global vehicle manufacturers. BYD Auto New Zealand general manager Warren Willmot says policy certainty matters for manufacturers deciding where to introduce new technologies. “Retaining the Clean […]
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• Breaking: Clean Vehicle Standard stays with new used import targets

  21-08-2026 04:02 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The Government will retain the Clean Vehicle Standard, ending months of uncertainty over whether the policy would be scrapped entirely. Officials will now work with the vehicle industry on recalibrated settings, including separate targets for used imports, reporting back early next year ahead of new settings taking effect from 1 January 2028. Transport minister Chris […]
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• EV sales are surging in Australia. But are they cheaper to run?

  20-08-2026 21:42 via abc.net.au
  
  The electric vehicle share of Australia's car market has almost tripled in the first half of 2026 amid the cost-of-living crisis and fuel shock. Here's what you need to know about maintenance and running costs.
  
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• Driver waits for compensation after new EV suddenly stops on freeway

  20-08-2026 10:13 via abc.net.au
  
  Customers left in the lurch when a Chinese electric vehicle giant terminated its exclusive agreement with an Australian company now have more certainty, but it's been a hard for many.
  
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• Full programme locked in for AutoTalk Live! Christchurch

  20-08-2026 05:03 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  AutoTalk Live! has confirmed its full programme for Christchurch, with the half-day event running Tuesday 15 September at Rydges Latimer, 30 Latimer Square. AutoTalk managing editor and event host Richard Edwards says the compressed format has shaped a deliberately dense programme. “This is a sharp, no-filler afternoon. Every session earns its place, whether that is […]
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• MITO Industry Summit and Awards set to bring sectors together

  20-08-2026 04:52 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  MITO is preparing to host its Industry Summit and Awards, bringing together leaders, employers and industry partners from across the automotive, commercial road transport, extractives, drilling, gas and logistics sectors. The free event will feature Government speakers including Resources and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour. The summit will also […]
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• Heartland takes over Kia floorplan funding as it tilts to franchise lending

  20-08-2026 00:43 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Heartland Bank will provide all funding for Kia vehicles held in dealer inventory under a new nationwide partnership with Kia New Zealand, announced alongside the bank’s full year results. The arrangement includes an upgraded inventory management system giving full transparency of nationwide stock and live data on Kia’s sold order status. Heartland says the system […]
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• FMA puts insurers on notice over dealer-sold add-on cover

  20-08-2026 00:22 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The Financial Markets Authority has told insurers they cannot outsource responsibility for fair customer outcomes to dealers and other intermediaries, in a review of add-on insurance that documents pressure selling, poor oversight and products paying out as little as three cents in the premium dollar. The regulator’s review of add-on insurance and extended warranties covers […]
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• Turners holds $65m target but warns fuel crisis risk is growing

  19-08-2026 21:53 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Turners Automotive Group is sticking with its $65 million profit target for FY27, but says the fuel crisis has made the first half materially harder than the past two years and puts the target at some risk. Presenting at the group’s annual meeting in Auckland yesterday, chief executive Todd Hunter says group net profit before […]
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• Mercedes-Benz signs on as ASB Classic automotive partner

  19-08-2026 10:06 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The deal extends Mercedes-Benz’s global WTA tennis partnership to New Zealand. Image: Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz New Zealand will become the official automotive partner of the ASB Classic from the 2027 tournament, in what the distributor describes as the start of a long-term relationship with the Auckland event. The deal extends the brand’s global commitment to professional […]
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• Leapmotor ‘deserves so much better’: ADNZ resets strategy as range doubles

  19-08-2026 09:04 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The B03X compact SUV opens at $37,990 plus on-road costs, with deliveries from late September. Auto Distribution New Zealand is resetting its approach to Leapmotor, admitting the Chinese EV brand has underperformed in New Zealand and rolling out a longer warranty, a tripled dealer network, a dedicated fleet function and a new brand campaign alongside […]
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• Leapmotor “deserves so much better”: ADNZ resets strategy as range doubles

  19-08-2026 09:04 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The B03X compact SUV opens at $37,990 plus on-road costs, with deliveries from late September. Auto Distribution New Zealand is resetting its approach to Leapmotor, admitting the Chinese EV brand has underperformed in New Zealand and rolling out a longer warranty, a tripled dealer network, a dedicated fleet function and a new brand campaign alongside […]
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• Trade Me appoints new boss

  19-08-2026 04:26 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Trade Me has appointed Kul Singh Kargil as its new chief executive officer, replacing Anders Skoe who will step down at the end of September.
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• Turners retains $65m FY27 profit target as market risks rise

  19-08-2026 01:17 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Turners Automotive Group is maintaining its $65 million net profit before tax (NPBT) target for FY27, although it warns tougher vehicle trading conditions have increased the risk of falling short. The outlook was provided in Turners’ annual meeting presentation on August 19 and follows the NZX-listed company’s full-year results announced in May, when it reported […]
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• Petrol and diesel prices fall for third straight month

  19-08-2026 01:02 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Petrol and diesel prices continued to fall in July, marking the third consecutive month of declines following increases in March and April, according to Stats NZ. Petrol prices dropped 5.7% from June, while diesel recorded a sharper 12.1% fall. Stats NZ prices and deflators spokesperson Nicola Growden says the declines have taken both fuel types […]
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• Geely posts record half as exports surge 158%

  18-08-2026 20:53 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The EX5 is part of Geely’s New Zealand line-up as the group posts record first-half numbers. Geely Auto has reported record first-half revenue of RMB173.6 billion (approximately NZ$44 billion), up 15% year on year, with core profit attributable to owners rising 46% to RMB9.68 billion (around NZ$2.5 billion). The Hong Kong-listed group, which develops and […]
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• Trade Me Motors adds de Ruiter to dealer development team

  18-08-2026 00:45 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Zach de Ruiter joins Trade Me Motors’ dealer-facing business development team. Image: LinkedIn Trade Me Motors has appointed Zach de Ruiter to its business development manager team supporting dealers, covering cars, boats, motorbikes and trucks. De Ruiter steps up from a client manager role at Trade Me, where he has been since October 2024, and […]
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• Ezi launches NZ’s first hydrogen rental fleet

  18-08-2026 00:43 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith takes the keys as first customer, with Ezi Car Rental branch manager Deon Hoeksema and Toyota New Zealand chief executive Tatsuya Ishikawa. Image: Toyota New Zealand Ezi Car Rental has become the first New Zealand rental company to offer a hydrogen vehicle, adding three Toyota Mirai fuel cell sedans to […]
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• Star Insure launches free accident app for all motorists

  18-08-2026 00:36 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The app walks drivers through a six-step process at the accident scene. Image: Star Insure Specialist motor insurer Star Insure has launched a free accident app for New Zealand motorists, offering step-by-step guidance at the scene of a crash regardless of who the driver is insured with. The app walks drivers through what to do […]
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• Record 1600 turn out as EROAD Fleet Days goes to two days

  17-08-2026 22:02 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  The exhibition hall at Fleet Days 2026, which ran over two days at Mystery Creek for the first time. Image: EROAD EROAD’s Fleet Days drew more than 1600 fleet leaders, operators and industry professionals to Mystery Creek this year, the event’s largest attendance to date and its first outing as a full two-day programme. The […]
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• Labour rules out Clean Car Discount return as ‘ute tax’ attack unravels

  17-08-2026 08:30 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Labour transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere rejected the claim as misinformation. Labour leader Chris Hipkins has ruled out reinstating the Clean Car Discount if Labour wins the November election, after a weekend of National Party attacks claiming the party was planning to bring back the so-called ute tax. The ruling out caps a two-day campaign skirmish […]
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• LDV runout begins: up to $33,000 slashed as Inchcape prepares exit

  17-08-2026 06:49 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Inchcape has fired the starting gun on its LDV exit, repricing the brand’s entire landed-stock inventory with cuts of up to $33,000 and a Deliver 9 Cab Chassis now listed at $19,990. A pricelist issued by LDV New Zealand on 17 August moves every model in the range to runout Recommended Sale Price positioning, valid […]
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• Obituary: Mark Vidak, the man who changed how New Zealand sells cars

  17-08-2026 01:17 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Mark Vidak, 1957-2026. One of the New Zealand motor industry’s most experienced and widely respected distribution executives, Mark Vidak, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 69. Vidak’s career spanned more than four decades and touched almost every corner of the new vehicle business, from the Japanese giants of the 1980s to the […]
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• Chery buys Nissan plant in South Africa as Chinese EV production lands in Africa

  16-08-2026 23:34 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Chery will build EVs, plug-in hybrids and Jetour models at the former Nissan plant. The Jaecoo J5 EV is pictured. Image: Jaecoo Chery has acquired Nissan’s former Rosslyn manufacturing plant near Pretoria, South Africa, giving China’s biggest vehicle exporter its first full production footprint in Africa. The acquisition, completed in July and reported by Associated […]
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• McGovern breaks silence on Jaguar rebrand and JLR exit

  16-08-2026 21:38 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  Gerry McGovern has given his first interview since leaving JLR. Image: JLR Former JLR chief creative officer Gerry McGovern has spoken publicly for the first time since leaving the company, defending Jaguar’s Copy Nothing rebrand as a campaign “taken out of context” and swallowed by an American culture war he says he did not see […]
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• 2 Cheap Cars profit softens in July as takeover clock runs

  14-08-2026 02:31 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  2 Cheap Cars made an unaudited net profit of about $320,000 in July. 2 Cheap Cars Group made an unaudited net profit after tax of about $320,000 in July, a softer month the company attributes to reduced vehicle sales volumes and average margins. The figure, released to the NZX this morning once July management accounts […]
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• 2 Cheap Cars posts $1.9m profit for first four months of FY27

  14-08-2026 01:14 via autotalk.co.nz
  
  2 Cheap Cars Group has reported unaudited net profit after tax (NPAT) of around $1.9 million for the first four months of FY27 following weaker trading in July. The NZX-listed vehicle retailer recorded NPAT of approximately $320,000 for July with the result consistent with its August 4 trading update, which indicated conditions had weakened compared […]
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