Trust attacks ‘anti-EV policies’

Advocates for electric vehicles have hit out at the government’s plans to water down emissions targets for the clean car standard (CCS) and align its goals with the Australian market.

The Better New Zealand Trust, which is a member of the Global EV Alliance, says the move will leave Kiwi motorists facing higher petrol bills for decades to come.

Kathryn Trounson, chair of the trust, says the revision of the CCS targets for vehicle importers is the latest in a series of policies from Simeon Brown, Minister of Transport, that will result in more petrol and diesel vehicles on the roads. 

“First, he scrapped the clean car discount, then he put a higher road tax on electric vehicles (EVs) than on hybrids and some petrol cars, and now he’s gutting the emissions standards,” she adds.

"Before this government started its anti-EV policies, New Zealand was at the forefront of clean transport, now we’re at the back of the pack.”

Trounson, pictured, says the average emissions of new vehicle imports are up 32 per cent since the coalition government came into power and EV sales are down 81 per cent.

“The clean car standard was the one policy left that was effective in driving down vehicle emissions,” she continues. 

“Weakening it will set us back years. A weaker clean car standard will mean fewer fuel-efficient vehicles in the marketplace and on the road, leading to higher petrol bills for Kiwi families and billions more in oil import costs for New Zealand.”