Savings on new models
The headline news from the government about the clean car standard is that it’s temporarily slashing charges by nearly 80 per cent for next year and 2027.
That involves cutting fees on imports from a top rate of $67.50 to $15 per gram of carbon dioxide (CO2) for new light vehicles – and from a top rate of $33.75 to $7.50 for used.
The Ministry of Transport has published some examples of the estimated impact of reducing the penalties on new-vehicle importers for 2026. It says these are “indicative and based off publicly available information about models. In practice, charges may vary”.
The fees below are current charges at $67.50 per gram of CO2 while the proposed charges are based on $15g/CO2.
• Toyota RAV4 GX 2.5PH/4WD – current charge: $338, proposed charge: $75, maximum potential savings: $263.
• Ford Ranger XLT double cab, pictured, W/SA – current charge: $405, proposed charge: $90, max potential savings: $315.
• Toyota Hilux SR5 Cruiser TD DC – current charge: $1,350, proposed charge: $300, max potential savings: $1,050.
• Mitsubishi ASX LS 2.0P/CVT – current charge: $6,075, proposed charge: $1,350, max potential savings: $4,725.
• Kia Seltos LX 2.0P/IV – current charge: $4,658, proposed charge: $1,035, max potential savings: $3,623.
• Nissan Navara Pro-4X 2.3D/4WD/7AT – current charge: $2,363, proposed charge: $525, max potential savings: $1,838.
• Mitsubishi Triton DC VRX 4WD 6AT 2.4DT – current charge: $1,823, proposed charge: $405, max potential savings: $1,418.
• Ford Everest Platinum 3.0D/4WD – current charge: $8,775, proposed charge: $1,950: max potential savings: $6,825.
