www.autofile.co.nz
NOVEMBER 2024
THE TRUSTED VOICE OF THE NZ AUTO INDUSTRY FOR 40 YEARS
Shifting rules slow electric car uptake
Campaigners warn government policy changes are putting importers of cleaner vehicles under pressure
Changes loom in finance sector
C
hanges to legislation this year are delaying efforts to transition the fleet to low and zero-emissions models and could cost the economy billions of dollars, warns Drive Electric. The industry group says the shifting rules have also resulted in New Zealand going from a world leader in the uptake of electric cars to lagging behind many other countries, including Australia. It adds plans to substantially increase the ACC motor-vehicle levy for zero-emitters, introducing road-user charges (RUC) for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) in April, and “weakening” the clean car standard (CCS) targets are all threats to the sector. These changes come as sales figures for EVs have already been impacted this year after the government axed the clean car discount (CCD) at the end of 2023. Kirsten Corson, chair of Drive Electric’s board, says the not-for-
p 10
Global reveal of Kia Tasman profit group is concerned at how the rejigging of different policies and regulations within the space of six months is hurting the automotive industry. “There have been successive moves by the government to put barriers up around decarbonising transport,” she told Autofile. “That’s costing the industry hundreds of millions of dollars because we’ve seen a 70 per cent reduction in EV sales this year. “It’s tough for the sector. Electric
vehicles have gone from making up 27 per cent of new-car sales on average each month in 2023 to being less than 10 per cent on average each month this year. “It’s a dramatic shift and that’s made it hard for our members importing cars. They have spent years trying to get a supply of EVs coming into New Zealand and telling factories we need EVs. All of a sudden, they’re trying to stop that flow. “A lot of businesses order nine
p 12
p 20
Dean Sheed on leaving Giltrap Group Marques flex muscles in Paris p 26
[continued on page 4]
GLOBAL VEHICLE LOGISTICS NZ - JAPAN - AUSTRALIA - UK - SINGAPORE