Changing who pays the Clean Car Standard administration costs

This consultation has now closed.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) sought feedback from importers, consumers, and industry groups about how users will pay a fee for administering the Clean Car Standard.

The Government currently funds the administration costs for the Clean Car Standard. In April 2024 Cabinet decided users should fund the scheme. A user-pays model is expected to be introduced in mid-2025.

The Clean Car Standard was first implemented on 1 January 2023 and it encourages importers to bring low and zero-emission vehicles to New Zealand by setting progressively lower CO₂ targets. Under the Clean Car Standard, importers pay charges for vehicles with high CO₂ emissions and receive credits for vehicles with low CO₂ emissions.

Read more about the Clean Car Standard(external link)

What we sought feedback on

The three considerations we sought feedback on were:

• Basis of payment - charging per vehicle or per importer.
• Point of payment - where in the import process NZTA should collect the payment, and who pays (importers or consumers).
• Variability of payment – if the fee should vary depending on the type of vehicle or account.

All feedback will be considered before a decision is made in early 2025.

Supporting information

View CCS consultation document [PDF, 552 KB]

If you have a question about consultation, please send it to:

CCSconsultation@nzta.govt.nz