New Zealand is rapidly falling behind in legislation to clean up its environment with many European nations stopping the
sale of internal combustion engine vehicles (ICE vehicles) by 2030 – less than ten years in the future.
On Sunday 13th June 2021 the Government has finally announced the free-bate scheme for cars that will be powered by electricity,
Chairman Mark Gilbert of “Drive Electric (DE) in February 2020 said’ “that the long time period before implementation of
the proposals will result in serious negative consequences, including the delay of purchasing EVs and a spike in the
purchase of high-emitting vehicles, as the vehicles we add to the New Zealand fleet will remain registered for an
estimated 19 years, every High Emitting Vehicle we reduce from this number will have a large and lasting impact.”
CEAC Spokesperson Mr Crispin says; “as we are instructed by the Climate Change Commissions report that we need to move
quickly to “decarbonise our transport’- then we need to get rid of the (Internal Combustion engine) ICE truck fleets
that we have trebled in the last 21 years, NOW we need to reduce the road freight and move the rest of road freight to
EV truck fleets, and the rest of our freight task needs to be moved on a newly electrified rail system that has no
‘toxic tyre dust micro-plastic particle emissions’ as rail only emits a fraction of metal from only steel wheels. ”
Finally we also hope that the ‘newly set-up ‘All electric vehicles advisory group’ to advise the minister‘ of how to
transform our decarbonising of our entire freight transport system of trucks and rail will take our heed of our advice
here;
They must take note of this”
Transport Minister Michael Wood today said” New Zealand's uptake of electric vehicles was well behind that of most other
countries: - "It's a common policy overseas, a recommendation of both the Climate Commission and the Productivity
Commission, and is supported by the likes of the Motor Industry Association – it's time to get moving with it."
CEAC – “We totally agrees with Mr Wood!”
CEAC will follow closely as the Government makes these crucial changes to how we will move freight all around our
country in future to lower our climate emissions, and leave our future generations future far more secure with cleaner,
safer lives for their families.