MEDIA RELEASE

9 August 2002

New Vehicle Industry Bouyed By Arc’s Stance On Emissions

The new vehicle industry is right behind the efforts of the Auckland Regional Council to bring about a long-overdue move to legislate for vehicle exhaust emission controls.

“Nowhere is the problem worse than in Auckland,” said Perry Kerr, CEO of the Motor Industry Association, which represents the importers of new vehicles. “With no emission control standards and thousands of worn-out used import diesel vehicles burning fuel with a sulphur content many times higher than that allowed in other Western countries, the ARC’s concerns are well justified.”

“The new vehicle industry unequivocally supports the ARC’s stance on this very serious issue,” said Mr. Kerr. “Despite the absence of any standards or regulations the vehicles that our members market in this country are fully compliant with the strict emission standards applying for new vehicles in Japan, Australia or the EC. However thanks to the unrestricted importation of old, poorly-maintained vehicles combined with the absence of an ongoing in-service testing regime the level of cancer-causing carcingens pumped into Auckland’s atmosphere on a daily basis is an absolute disgrace.”

“Neither do we consider ‘dirty diesel’ to be an insurmountable problem,” Mr. Kerr added. “There is one fuel company that is already importing and distributing low sulphur diesel (with less than 100 ppm sulphur which compares to product ex Marsden Point at 1400 ppms).”

The MIA asserts that new vehicles are significantly cleaner and more fuel efficient than older vehicles, and will be putting this claim to the test in November. The ‘2002 EnergyWise Rally’, supported by Gull, will pit approximately 40 new cars against each other to demonstrate their efficiency and environmental responsibility over a 1500 kilometre route from Auckland to Wellington and back.

ENDS

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