Dramatic changes are occurring in the Australian automotive industry. First, Ford announced it will stop assembling vehicles in Australia in 2016. Similarly, Holden and Toyota announced that they will cease local vehicle production in 2017. When this occurs, it will transform Australia into an import-only market for every manufacturer selling vehicles in the country.

Fleet sizes in Australia can range from small and medium enterprise fleets of fewer than 20 units to mega-fleets exceeding 1,000 vehicles. Larger fleets tend to be more prevalent in the fast-moving consumer goods, telecommunications, logistics, and utility industries.

The fleet market in New Zealand is relatively small due to the country’s small population and mountainous terrain on the South Island. New Zealand is a mature fleet market with more than 90 percent of businesses classified as small and medium enterprises. Company ownership is very prominent in the traditionally conservative New Zealand market; however, leasing is becoming increasingly popular with businesses with an international ownership model.

Although a close neighbor to the larger Australian market, the New Zealand market has different market dynamics.
One difference is that New Zealand’s core industries are not based on extraction, which means that current market conditions remain very strong in all segments with little or no impact to fleet sales.

For a full overview of the Australasian fleet market, go to the report by Automotive Fleet Editor Mike Antich here.