THE TRUSTED VOICE OF NZ’s
AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY SINCE 1984

July issue out now

The Motor Industry Association is urging the government to slow plans to toughen exhaust emissions standards and not get ahead of Australia in setting new rules.

In a submission to the Ministry of Transport (MoT), it says new models and distributor viability may be at risk if New Zealand’s regulations for imports are stricter than those across the Tasman. 

The Imported Motor Vehicle Industry Association (VIA) has voiced objections to the way the MoT has assigned standard equivalencies in consultation documents on shifting used and new light vehicles to Euro 5 and Euro 6 respectively. VIA describes the approach being proposed to align different regimes as “biased towards EU standards”.

Meanwhile, the Motor Trade Association (MTA) has raised further issues for the MoT to consider, such as the practical implications of emissions testing requirements and the cost of higher specification fuel for Euro 6d.

Frank Willett, managing director of Autohub NZ, says the range of vehicles being imported is at risk of narrowing following the July 1 changes to the clean car discount. His warning comes after a “mad rush” to register vehicles last month ahead of the feebate scheme’s settings being reset.

The MTA is campaigning for the Consumer Guarantees Act to be revamped, describing it as a “blunt instrument” when applied to car sales. It wants courts and tribunals to have discretion to allow for depreciation and use in some cases, and for the jurisdiction of the Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal to be redefined. 

Mitsubishi Motors NZ is seeking Kiwis’ views on the marque’s eK X before deciding whether to bring the tiny electric car to these shores. The kei-class model was launched in Japan last year. Plus: Fieldays round-up.

• Todd Fuller, of AdTorque Edge, explains how dealers – by integrating existing technology platforms – can cut the wastage of existing sales opportunities and save dollars.

• Tony Everett, of the MTA, looks at the extra burdens imposed on the industry since the coronavirus pandemic.

• VIA’s Kit Wilkerson explains why New Zealand should set its own standards when it comes to vehicle exhaust emissions.

Plus: Brendon Hartley at Le Mans, awards for dealerships, industry movers, in-depth statistics and much more.

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Autofile magazine 2026 / 9
September ’26

The used-imports sector is calling on the government to review penalties under the clean vehicle standard (CVS) and offer scrappage credits as part of its revamp. VIA says the standard’s setting

Magazine03 Sep, 2026
Autofile magazine 2026 / 8
August ’26

Drive Electric warns New Zealand risks being left increasingly “isolated” from the global supply of EVs unless there are consistent policy signals and shared political commitment across el

Magazine04 Aug, 2026
Autofile magazine 2026 / 7
July ’26

The MTA is calling on politicians to set up a training fund to support businesses taking on apprentices and a scrappage scheme to clean up the fleet. The items are included in its roadmap published ah

Magazine05 Jul, 2026
Autofile magazine 2026 / 6
June ’26

Drive Electric says New Zealand’s switch to EVs needs cross-party support. Its State of the Nation 2026 report laments a setback for the transition after clean-car policies have been “virt

Magazine04 Jun, 2026
Autofile magazine 2026 / 5
May ’26

VIA’s chief executive explains why used imports should be spared from the clean vehicle standard (CVS) and urges the coalition to focus on measures that encourage fleet renewal. Greig Epps&rsquo

Magazine04 May, 2026
Autofile magazine 2026 / 4
April ’26

MITO bosses tell Autofile what its priorities and challenges are now the training organisation is under industry ownership, with getting more learners into automotive careers and keeping them up to da

Magazine06 Apr, 2026
Autofile magazine 2026 / 3
March ’26

The number of used imports attracting border damage flags has more than doubled in the past year, despite the volume of cars coming into New Zealand dropping. VIA, which is in talks with the NZTA abou

Magazine05 Mar, 2026
Autofile magazine 2026 / 2
February ’26

The Motor Trade Association is lobbying for a maximum age of 10 years by 2030 for used cars coming into New Zealand to act as a safety proxy for entrants to the fleet. Find out why with Autofile. T

Magazine04 Feb, 2026
Autofile magazine 2026 / 1
January ’26

The government is being warned older cars will stay in the fleet for longer if ADAS mandates prevent safer models being imported, with industry associations also calling for realistic transition times

Magazine13 Jan, 2026
Autofile magazine 2025 / 12
December ’25

Regulators give their advice to loan providers in the automotive space as oversight of the non-banking sector is set to transfer from the Commerce Commission to the Financial Markets Authority. We

Magazine04 Dec, 2025
Autofile magazine 2025 / 11
November ’25

Autofile talks to experts about the downturn as dealer numbers drop, some sectors suffer more than others and the risk of liquidations is “fairly high”. It’s not all bad news, though

Magazine05 Nov, 2025
Autofile magazine 2025 / 10
October ’25

The number of registered traders has fallen to a 13-year low amid conditions many describe as among the toughest New Zealand’s vehicle market has experienced. We talk to three experts about what

Magazine05 Oct, 2025