Clean Car Discount could save two million tonnes of CO2

A massive reduction in average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is predicted following the full Clean Car scheme’s introduction.

Drive Electric expects two million tonnes of CO2 will be saved over the lifetime of about 490,000 vehicles registered since the start of the Clean Car Discount (CCD) from July 1, 2021 to January 31, 2023 with average emissions at 166.9g/km – a 20g/km reduction on previously stable figures before the scheme’s introduction, averaging 187.3kg, Stuff reports.

The average Kiwi vehicle lasts about 20 years and drives around 10,500km annually.

Drive Electric says making the switch to zero- and low-emission vehicles now will cut emissions for many years to come.

Stuff says the new vehicles’ current emissions means a saving of nearly 200,000 tonnes of emissions monthly compared to the average before the Clean Car scheme’s introduction.

That’s about $100 per tonne.

In March 2022, higher polluting vehicles were bought in numbers before the fee part of the feebate was introduced in April that year, leading to a drop to 132g/km before reaching the present average of 148.77g/km – below the Clean Car Standard (CCS) target, Stuff adds.

Drive Electric chair Mark Gilbert told Stuff the 21% reduction in average emissions of vehicles entering the fleet is far better than expected, adding the CCS and CCD need to continue with some tinkering to get the settings right so more can be invested in EV charging infrastructure and encouraging fleets to rapidly transition.