Kiwis back Clean Car scheme

The Government’s Clean Car policies are generally popular, a survey of nearly 1000 adults commissioned by e-mobility promoter Drive Electric shows.

The survey reveals most of the recipients also support the “fee” part of the scheme’s “feebate” which applies to polluting vehicles, the “bate” referring to the rebate for low- and zero-emission vehicles.

The scheme comprises the Clean Car Standard (CCS)- a government target that regulates importers to reduce CO2 emissions of vehicles entering New Zealand to specific standards and targets – and the Clean Car Discount (CCD) which encourages buyer demand for low-emission vehicles by providing rebates for them and a fee paid for high-emission vehicles, registered in New Zealand for the first time.

Drive Electric estimates cleaner cars brought in under the Clean Car programme will save New Zealand two million tonnes of emissions over their useful lifetimes.

More than 60% of survey respondents reckon the CCS is good policy, while the CCD is also favoured, although less so for the fee aspect, aka the “ute tax”.

EVs (including plug-in hybrids or PHEVs) have reportedly jumped form under 3% of new car sales to about 25% since the CCD was introduced.

Australia’s Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) says Drive Electric’s online survey shows the introduction of fuel efficiency standards are popular in New Zealand and should be replicated in Australia.

It says this result comes in spite of claims that Australians and New Zealanders would baulk at the reform.