Geely celebrates five-fold sales surge, announces new dealerships

NordEast Vehicle Distributors, the mainstream and Chinese-focused wing of Giltrap Group, has confirmed a strong pick-up in local sales year-to-date, as well as the next phase of its dealership expansion.

In a press release, the marque confirmed that sales of its Geely brand have lifted “551%” year-on-year. The marque, which exclusively sells plug-in models, is amongst the EV-focused carmakers to have benefited from a steep rise in local petrol and diesel prices. 

The marque did not provide registration data in its press release. It also only launched in New Zealand last April, meaning at this point last year the marque had only been selling cars to customers for just over two months. 

Still, its positive momentum for a brand that’s aiming to poach sales from the likes of BYD and MG. Its current line-up includes the EX5 BEV, Starray EM-i PHEV, and fully electric Riddara RD6 double-cab ute.

NordEast also acknowledged sales milestones for its Zeekr 7X electric SUV and Farizon V7E electric van.

It noted that the 7X was New Zealand’s number one best-selling premium segment nameplate in April — not just in the electric vehicle segment, but overall. This means the 7X outsold everything from the likes of Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.

On the V7E, NordEast said it has sold out of the model’s next five incoming shipments, with uptake fuelled by “growing interest from fleet operators looking to reduce operating costs and accelerate their transition to electrified transport solutions.”

“The growth we're seeing speaks for itself with Geely up 551 per cent year-on-year and the Zeekr 7X topping the premium segment in April across all powertrains,” said NordEast Vehicle Distributors general manager Dane Fisher.

“As more New Zealanders embrace electrified mobility, our nationwide presence will expand to meet that demand, supported by our trusted partners.”

Two new dealerships are set to be added to the NordEast stable by early July. 

Earlier this month, the doors opened to a Robertson Motor Group site in Palmerston North, offering Geely, Zeekr, and Farizon. And, on July 1, Cockram Motor Group is scheduled to open a Geely and Farizon dealer site in Nelson.

“We are proud partners of the Giltrap Group across multiple brands, and adding Geely and Farizon to our portfolio was a natural next step given the strong demand we're seeing in the region,” said a Cockram Motor Group representative.

“We see significant growth potential for both brands in Nelson and the wider Tasman region.”