‘Frantic’ start to feebate
Dealers and consumers are still getting to grips with the government’s feebate scheme as the Imported Motor Vehicle Industry Association (VIA) reveals the clean car discount’s go-live date was “frantic”.
David Vinsen, chief executive, says some of the problems VIA highlighted weeks ago about search results on the Rightcar website remain and the association also had to battle for a procedure that allows importers to challenge emissions figures for light vehicles.
Despite these issues with the full clean car discount scheme, which was implemented on April 1, he praised the collaborative approach between industry and officials at Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency in trying to remedy the problems.
“We were absolutely frantic on Friday with the introduction of the penalty phase of the clean car discount, answering dealers’ questions and dealing with the public,” Vinsen told Autofile Online.
“Leading up to the process we had found that the NZTA database was incomplete and in places inaccurate.
“It was an issue we had highlighted sometime previously and NZTA had worked with our team to get it sorted by the time the feebate scheme was implemented.
“There have been excellent levels of co-operation and collaboration but it has been a struggle to get a complete and accurate database.”
He adds until last week VIA also had concerns about the inability for importers to be able to challenge incorrect information about light vehicles on the Rightcar website, which is administered by Waka Kotahi and provides details of the fees or rebates light vehicles will attract based on their emissions.
The agency has since outlined a procedure for checking and contesting emissions but warns carbon dioxide (CO2) data for vehicles cannot be changed once registration has been completed.
“Thankfully now something has been put in place,” says Vinsen. “The way the legislation is written, the NZTA’s database is the sole source of truth and once a vehicle is registered, that’s it.
“Our advice to importers is that if you have any doubts about the emissions data for a vehicle from NZTA, do not register it, challenge the process and provide accurate information to justify any claim.
“There have been some bizarre anomalies, such as a Toyota Aqua showing up as facing a $2,800 fee when it should have been entitled to a $900 refund.
“It’s all because of the incomplete information. When you search by VIN [vehicle identification number] for a particular vehicle it sometimes comes back with the incorrect number and so while you might expect a rebate it instead shows up with a penalty.”
Vinsen, pictured, notes there are still some flaws in the database and it wasn’t until the first cases came up under the feebate system that NZTA realised the problems in those areas.
He adds the discount scheme is “only the start of the process” for the industry because the clean car programme comprises the discount and the clean car standard, which is due to be applied this year for accounting purposes before penalties start being enforced from 2023.
However, he believes the standard’s implementation will be easier as long as industry and officials take on board lessons from the introducing the feebate system.
“The clean car standard is going to be the same thing over again but at the time of import rather than at the time of retail sale, so there’s going to be a double whammy on some vehicles,” he says.
“NZTA will have a much better database on emissions values among other attributes of vehicles because the same figures will be used and I am sure we will have that nailed by then.
“The industry will have learnt from some of the snags and hiccups as we have gone through this exercise. The difference is we will be dealing with vehicles in bulk rather than one by one.
“Importers and NZTA will have a much better understanding of what is required and if we continue to have the same collaboration as we have now then I’m optimistic about a much smoother roll-out of the standard.”
