Editing Transport in New Zealand (section)

===Vehicle fleet===
[[File:Repetition on Auckland wharf.jpg|thumb|Imported cars on Auckland wharf]]
One of the earliest counts/estimates of motor vehicles in New Zealand had them at 82,000 in 1925. This soon increased to 170,000 on the eve of World War II in 1939, continuing to 425,000 in 1953 and increasing to 1,000,000 in 1971.<ref name = "IPENZTG"/> In the first national vehicle registration of 1925, 99,233 plates were issued.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://atojs.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/atojs?a=d&d=AJHR1925-I.2.3.4.28|title=Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives — 1925 Session I — H-22 DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS (ANNUAL REPORT OF THE) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1925.|website=atojs.natlib.govt.nz|language=en-NZ|access-date=2018-11-08}}</ref> In 1931 156,180 motor-vehicles were registered<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://atojs.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/atojs?a=d&d=AJHR1931-I-II.2.2.6.37|title=Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives — 1931 Session I-II — H-40 TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT (ANNUAL REPORT OF).|website=atojs.natlib.govt.nz|language=en-NZ|access-date=2018-11-08}}</ref> and those licensed were 298,586 in 1939 and 380,503 in 1950.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1950/I/4204|title=Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives - Table 2—Number of Motor-vehicles Licensed as at 31st March, 1939 to 1950, Inclusive|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz|language=en|access-date=2018-11-07}}</ref>

Just over half of the light passenger vehicles first registered in New Zealand are used imports. In 2013 new car registrations were up 7% on 2012 to 82,235 sold, with used vehicle sales up to 98,971.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://autotalk.co.nz/statistics/2013-by-the-numbers|title=2013 – by the numbers|date=14 January 2014|website=autotalk.co.nz}}</ref>

At the [[2013 New Zealand census]], 92.1 percent of households reported owning at least one car; 37.6 percent reported owning one car, 38.4 percent reported as owning two cars, and 16.1 percent reported owing three or more cars. Car ownership was highest in the [[Tasman Region]] (95.9 percent) and lowest in the [[Wellington Region]] (88.3 percent).<ref>{{cite web |title= 2013 Census – transport and communications in New Zealand |url= http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census/2013-census/profile-and-summary-reports/qstats-infographic-transport-comms.aspx |publisher=[[Statistics New Zealand]] |access-date= 27 June 2015}}</ref>

In 2015, 3.018 million were light passenger vehicles, 507,000 were light commercial vehicles, 137,000 were heavy trucks, 10,000 were buses and 160,000 were motorcycles and mopeds. The mean age of a New Zealand car (as of end of 2015) was 14.2 years, with trucks at 17.6 years.<ref>[http://www.transport.govt.nz/research/newzealandvehiclefleetstatistics New Zealand Fleet Statistics] (from the [[New Zealand Ministry of Transport]] website)</ref> 38% of light vehicles in 2017 were 15 years +, 171,000 being deregistered, but 334,000 added.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.transport.govt.nz/news/land/we-are-driving-further-and-more-than-ever-before/|title=We are driving further and more than ever before {{!}} Ministry of Transport|website=www.transport.govt.nz|language=en-NZ|access-date=2018-10-19}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|year
|all vehicles
|light <3.5t
|bn. vehicle kilometres
|-
|2019
|4,403,690
|4,022,019
|48.7<ref>{{Cite web|date=November 2020|title=The New Zealand 2019 Vehicle Fleet : Data Spreadsheet|url=https://www.transport.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Data/NZVehicleFleet.xlsx}}</ref>
|-
|2018
|4,275,026
|3,907,482
|
|-
|2017
|4,154,897
|3,799,023
|48.21
|-
|2016
|3,977,966
|3,636,985
|45.49
|-
|2015
|3,810,823
|3,482,722
|43.41
|-
|2014
|3,674,721
|3,358,816
|41.83
|-
|2013
|3,545,650
|3,243,166
|40.78
|-
|2010
|3,414,052
|3,122,121
|40.53
|-
|2001
|2,757,190
|2,563,467
|36.61<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.transport.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Research/Documents/Fleet-reports/NZ-Vehicle-Fleet-Graphs-2017-WEB.xlsx|title=New Zealand Fleet Statistics 2017 data|website=Ministry of Transport}}</ref>
|}
By 2017 there were 792 light vehicles per 1,000 people, one of the highest [[List of countries by vehicles per capita|vehicle ownerships in the world]] and they covered 9,265&nbsp;km/capita.

Average engine capacity of light vehicles grew to 2010 and was about 2,290cc in 2017, with average [[Greenhouse gas|CO<sub>2</sub>]] emissions about 180 g/km.