Fossil fuel vehicle ban was considered

A ban on importing fossil fuel vehicles from 2035 had been considered by the New Zealand Government, it’s revealed.

The ban was supported by the Ministry of Transport (MoT) but rejected by the Government, Newsroom reports.

Banning importation of fossil fuel vehicles by 2035 would have had a net $2.26 billion benefit, according to the MoT in a briefing document from March 2018, newly released under the Official Information Act and published on the FYI website. A proposed ban was consistent with similar moves overseas, the MoT noted.

However, the Government decided instead to propose its ‘clean car’ plan which includes fuel emission standards and a feebate scheme whereby polluters help pay for discounts on low to zero emission vehicles.

Submissions on the ‘clean car’ plan closed on August 20, although several automotive organisations have extensions until September 10.

The Government is not investigating the ban at this stage and decided New Zealand was too far behind other countries considering similar moves, according to associate transport minister Julie Anne Genter.

Newsroom reports environmentalists saying the Government should have proceeded with the ban, which may have saved 27 million tonnes of CO2 emissions between 2021 and 2050, based on the MoT’s preliminary cost-benefit analysis.

A draft Cabinet paper about the ban was produced in March 2018, but was withdrawn and didn’t get to Cabinet for official discussion, Newsroom adds.

The MoT was still producing briefings on a ban later in 2018, including a cost-benefit analysis in October.

It determined EVs would reach price parity with internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in mid-2030 – at least four years ahead of any ban implementation.