• Nielsen analysis showed New Zealand passenger vehicle ad spend rose 37% in March versus February, up 53% versus March 2025, as fuel-cost pressure pushed brands to promote EV, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid options.
• Consumer data for 12 months to Q4 2025 showed 51% of New Zealanders planning to buy a car in next year considered an EV, hybrid, or plug-in hybrid, up 4%; EV-only consideration rose to 25%, up 4%.
• Among EV, hybrid, or plug-in hybrid intenders, about one in five were aged 25-34; average household income was $158,236 versus $151,342 for all respondents.
• Fuel retailers cut advertising overall in March, with Z Energy lifting spend almost 110% month-on-month, Mobil up more than 250% from a smaller base; BP cut spend about 23% while staying among biggest category spenders.
• Media mix diverged, with Z Energy allocating about 71% of March spend to TV; BP split spend more evenly across TV at about 46%, out-of-home at about 27%, radio at about 27%.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Nielsen Holdings Ltd. published the original content used to generate this news brief on May 13, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.