Used imports – greener future
Greig Epps, chief executive of the Imported Motor Vehicle Industry Association (VIA), has penned this opinion piece on how the sector can improve the fleet’s green credentials.
When we think about the future of transport in New Zealand, we must focus on reducing harm, enhancing sustainability, fostering fair competition and embracing multi-modal transport.
If we peer into a crystal ball towards 2030, the landscape of Kiwi families’ lives unveils a tapestry woven with convenience, low-carbon impact and environmental consciousness across suburban, rural and central city contexts.
Transport evolution is pivotal in this vision. We must steer consumer behaviour and policy to pivot toward this future picture.
Amidst an array of transport choices in this future New Zealand, private vehicles retain their pragmatic value. Ensuring access to affordable, lower-emission vehicles becomes paramount.
Japanese markets have a plethora of used petrol hybrid vehicles and stand as a crucial resource in our transition to a low-emissions future.
In making transport choices, Kiwi families might even want two vehicles – a spacious five-seater for extensive trips and a smaller, eco-friendly variant for day-to-day errands or occasional commutes.
This pragmatic choice aligns with a broader strategy encompassing three facets – a comprehensive fleet-management approach that prioritises safety and decarbonisation, transport decisions aligned with environmental conservation and a marketplace conducive to sustainable choices.
Collaboration among various governmental agencies – the Ministry of Transport, NZ Transport Agency, Ministry for the Environment, and the Ministry for Innovation Business and Employment – is essential to implement these transformative actions.
Without such policies supporting this transition, New Zealand risks heightened vehicle kilometres travelled, increased carbon emissions, health adversities due to air pollution, escalated transportation costs and a compromised quality of life.
Things will look different if we don’t act. While some may access electric vehicles (EVs), hurdles such as cost and supply will persist.
The absence of a robust electrification infrastructure might render EVs unreliable, impeding decarbonisation efforts. Such constraints could undermine the viability of low-carbon choices, hindering our path towards transport options that support a sustainable and healthy lifestyle.
Max De Pree [an American businessman and writer] once said: “We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are.” New Zealand’s journey towards improvement will require change, gradual yet purposeful.
Our path to net-zero carbon emissions should be a “just transition”, which encompasses fairness, equity and a progressing against a reasonable timetable.
Ensuring access to affordable, quality vehicles will be a linchpin in this journey. The importation of used vehicles, particularly petrol-hybrid options, stands out as a vital tool in propelling New Zealand closer to this goal.
VIA wants to work with the new government, championing initiatives that shape New Zealand’s low-carbon transport landscape, contributing significantly to a sustainable and vibrant future.
