25 February 2005

Better vehicle fuel efficiency data on the way

Changes to the motor vehicle pre-registration process will result in better information on the New Zealand light vehicle fleet, Transport Minister Pete Hodgson said today.

From Monday, vehicle importers will provide fuel consumption data for all new, and many used light vehicles on registration. The exhaust emissions standard to which post-1989 used vehicles, and new light vehicles were built will also be recorded.

“New Zealand is one of the few developed countries without a clear picture of the fuel efficiency and emissions profile of its vehicle fleet. This new scheme will help us begin to build up a clearer picture of that," said Pete Hodgson.

"New Zealand's vehicle market is small on global terms and is characterised by the vast array of makes and models of used cars imported, principally from Japan. Devising a workable way to collect this data has been a challenge. I'd like to thank industry organisations such as the IMVDA, MTA and MIA for their advice and expertise in helping us deliver this system."

The Ministry of Transport and Land Transport New Zealand have compiled and translated Japanese test data for used cars likely to be imported into New Zealand. Importers will be able to access the information they need from a secure website.

The next step will be to make this data available to the public in a form that will readily allow them to compare the fuel efficiency of different vehicles.

ENDS

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