There are currently only around 200 electric vehicles ( EVs ) in New Zealand , and that number is not set to grow quickly as Nissan has now withdrawn its global best - seller , the electric LEAF , from the NZ market . The decision to stop selling the LEAF was reportedly " commercial and regrettable , " but Nissan could not provide an EV at the right price with features that suited the local market according to Nissan New Zealand managing director John Manley . Price is an especially important factor in New Zealand because a larger portion of electric-car sales come from cost-conscious fleet owners. The New Zealand Government is still developing a package of measures to boost the uptake of EVs , which it had originally hoped to implement before Christmas , however Cameron said he understood the measures would be " very soft " .
There are currently only around 200 electric vehicles ( EVs ) in New Zealand , and that number is not set to grow quickly as Nissan has now withdrawn its global best - seller , the electric LEAF , from the NZ market . The decision to stop selling the LEAF was reportedly " commercial and regrettable , " but Nissan could not provide an EV at the right price with features that suited the local market according to Nissan New Zealand managing director John Manley . The New Zealand Government is still developing a package of measures to boost the uptake of EVs , which it had originally hoped to implement before Christmas , however Cameron said he understood the measures would be " very soft " .