New vehicle registrations in October 2026
In October 2026, 18,959 new vehicles were registered in New Zealand, the second busiest month of the year after September's 20,694. That total includes trailers, motorcycles and tractors, so as usual we have focused on passenger cars and vans, of which there were 11,883. We have also added a Canterbury breakdown this month, and compared the new cars with the older ones we have been buying. Data Source
These figures cover vehicles with a 2026 vehicle year, which in practice means new vehicles. Used imports are recorded under the year they were first registered overseas, so they are not included.
Passenger cars and vans by powertrain
| Powertrain | Num | Share | August share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid (non plug-in) | 5,015 | 42.2% | 37.7% |
| Petrol | 3,270 | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Electric | 1,528 | 12.9% | 11.9% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 1,444 | 12.2% | 12.4% |
| Diesel | 626 | 5.3% | 6.4% |
Ordinary hybrids reached 42.2% of new passenger cars and vans, their highest share this year, while plain petrol fell to 27.5%, its lowest. Electric and plug-in hybrid together made up 2,972 vehicles, or 25.0% of the month, so one new passenger car in four plugs in. Diesel keeps shrinking and is now about one car in twenty.
The most popular makes in October 2026
| Make | Num | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Toyota | 2,997 | 25.2% |
| Kia | 1,173 | 9.9% |
| Mitsubishi | 1,130 | 9.5% |
| Mazda | 788 | 6.6% |
| GWM | 611 | 5.1% |
| BYD | 587 | 4.9% |
| MG | 498 | 4.2% |
| Ford | 436 | 3.7% |
| Honda | 358 | 3.0% |
| Suzuki | 320 | 2.7% |
Toyota registered more passenger cars than Kia and Mitsubishi combined. The top models were the Toyota RAV4 (1,174) and Corolla (1,133), followed by the Mitsubishi Outlander (741), Kia Sportage (474) and Ford Everest (322).
Electric and plug-in hybrid models
The electric market has no runaway leader any more. The most registered electric models in October were the GWM Ora (112), Kia EV3 (98), BYD Atto 2 (91), MG4 (90), BYD Atto 3 (76) and Tesla Model Y (74).
Plug-in hybrids are a different story. The RAV4 plug-in hybrid took 439 registrations, well ahead of the BYD Atto 2 plug-in (128), Geely Starray EM-i (104) and GWM Haval H6 (101).
Utes and vans
There were 3,093 new goods vans, trucks and utes. The Toyota Hilux (872) and Ford Ranger (806) were far ahead of the Mitsubishi Triton (203) and BYD Shark 6 (197). Diesel still powers most new utes, but 621 were diesel hybrids, and 314 were plug-in hybrids such as the Shark 6. Even the work ute is starting to electrify.
Canterbury in October 2026
Across Canterbury, 1,372 new passenger cars and vans were registered to owners in the region: Christchurch City 1,088, Waimakariri 84, Selwyn 81, Timaru 48, Ashburton 36, Hurunui 22, Kaikōura 7, and Mackenzie and Waimate 3 each.
| Powertrain | Canterbury share | New Zealand share |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid (non plug-in) | 44.6% | 42.2% |
| Petrol | 25.1% | 27.5% |
| Electric | 15.9% | 12.9% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 9.6% | 12.2% |
| Diesel | 4.8% | 5.3% |
Canterbury buyers went further electric than the country as a whole, but chose fewer plug-in hybrids. The most registered models locally were the Toyota Corolla (141), Kia Sportage (85) and Toyota RAV4 (75). Vehicles are counted by the owner's address, so company fleets registered elsewhere are not included.
How the cars we buy compare
The cars arriving at a wrecker today are a snapshot of what was being sold new or imported two or three decades ago. Here are the seven vehicles we have bought most recently:
| Vehicle | Bought in |
|---|---|
| 1996 Toyota Starlet | Bishopdale |
| 1999 Holden Astra City | Halswell |
| 2000 Mitsubishi Lancer | Ilam |
| 2006 Honda Fit | Leeston |
| 2007 Nissan Bluebird Sylphy | Hornby |
| 2008 Honda Stream | Christchurch |
| 2008 Ford Ranger | Redwood |
Seven cars is a small sample, so read it as what we are seeing rather than a statistic, but three things stand out.
They are 18 to 30 years old. Most were built between 2006 and 2008, which suggests a car registered new this October will typically reach a wrecker some time in the 2040s.
The brands carry through. Toyota, Mitsubishi, Ford and Honda appear in both our list and October's top ten makes. The Ford Ranger is the clearest link: we bought a 2008 one, and 806 new Rangers were registered in October alone. The exception is Holden, which no longer sells new cars here, so every Holden we buy from now on comes from a shrinking pool.
The powertrains will change. Every one of the seven ran on petrol or diesel. A quarter of October's new passenger cars plug in, so the vehicles reaching wreckers in the 2040s will increasingly carry high-voltage batteries that need careful handling and proper recycling.
What all these new cars mean if you have an older one
Every new car registered usually means an older one leaving a household. When we talk to sellers, the reason is often exactly that: they have bought something newer, or upgraded to a hybrid, and the old car is now sitting in the driveway.
If that is you, the old car does not need to be broken to be worth selling. We buy running cars you no longer need, cars with no WOF, and cars that will not start, and our car removal is free across Christchurch and Canterbury. Send your plate through the quote form for a cash offer.