Government to retain Clean Vehicle Standard

The Government will retain a Clean Vehicle Standard for new and used vehicle imports, following a review of its settings, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Clean Vehicle Standard sets emissions targets for vehicles imported into New Zealand,” Mr Bishop says. “In 2025, it became clear that the Standard’s settings were not well matched to market conditions. Most importers were struggling to meet the passenger vehicle targets, with the charges likely to be passed through to consumers through higher car prices and reduced choice. “At that time, the Government made critical short-term changes to ease pressure on importers and keep cars affordable for New Zealand families and businesses. We also committed to complete a full first-principles review of the Standard. “The first stage of that review was carried out earlier this year. It found the Standard to be the most cost-effective way to increase the availability of lower-emissions vehicles in New Zealand. Most vehicle industry stakeholders who took part in the review also supported retaining the Standard. "In feedback on the review, industry noted that the Standard is now well established in New Zealand, with importers accumula