- Government aligns Clean Car Importer Standard with Australia to ease vehicle import market pressures.
- Changes to emissions targets aim to balance reducing emissions and vehicle affordability.
- Disability vehicles exempt from the Standard to support New Zealand’s disability community.
The Government is set to align the Clean Car Importer Standard with Australia’s regulations. This move aims to provide certainty in the vehicle import market and reduce living costs for New Zealanders, according to Transport Minister Simeon Brown.
“The Government supports the Clean Car Importer Standard to ensure that New Zealand has an affordable mix of clean vehicles. Following a comprehensive review into the Standard, we will be making key changes to ensure the Standard strikes the right balance between reducing transport emissions while ensuring that New Zealanders have access to affordable vehicles.”
Minister Brown explained the findings from the Ministry of Transport’s advice, revealing that under the current targets set by the former Government, Clean Car Standard (CCS) penalties could amount to approximately $800.6 million in consumer costs by 2027, which translates to around $5,549 per vehicle. He added, “The review found that the Standard’s current targets are too stringent and are increasingly difficult for importers to meet, as they are out of step with manufacturing standards from leading vehicle manufacturers. In fact, the review found that the commercial targets for 2026 and 2027 are more stringent than every other country in the world.”
Minister Brown stressed the importance of amending the current trajectory to avoid imposing excessive costs on consumers while failing to achieve emission reductions. He noted New Zealand’s reliance on international vehicle markets and the necessity of aligning policies with larger economies to maintain market access.
From 1 January 2025, changes to the Clean Car Importer Standard’s emissions targets for 2025-2029 will be implemented. These changes aim to make the targets achievable for importers while still promoting the supply of clean vehicles. The adjustments include:
- Re-aligning emissions targets towards Australia’s, with commercial vehicles aligning from 2026 and passenger vehicles from 2027.
- Passing legislation to introduce more flexibility in the use of the Standard’s emission credits and charges to support target achievement.
- Exempting disability vehicles from the Standard as soon as the new regulations are enacted.
“New Zealand and Australia are effectively one car market – so it makes sense to have the same approach to CO2 emissions standards between our two countries,” Minister Brown said. He emphasised the importance of exempting disability vehicles to ensure accessible, affordable specialised vehicles for New Zealanders with disabilities. “New Zealand’s disability co