Road Transport Forum welcomes electric vehicle announcement

Road Transport Forum welcomes electric vehicle RUC announcement

Road Transport Forum Chief Executive Ken Shirley has welcomed the announcement today by Transport Minister Simon Bridges that electric powered heavy vehicles be exempt from road user charges (RUCs) until they make up two percent of the heavy vehicle fleet.

“We recognise that transport fuels are the low hanging fruit for New Zealand to reduce its carbon emissions and honour the ambitious goals set by our international climate change obligations,” says Shirley.

“It is pleasing that the Government has recognised the potential anomaly presented by the introduction of electric vehicles and is giving a RUC discount for heavy vehicles that is commensurate with the regime for electric cars.”

“The National Land Transport Fund currently operates on a user pays basis to fund the roading network. Unlike excise duty paid by petrol-powered vehicles on a fuel consumption basis, road user charges are paid by the trucking fleet based on a weight-over-distance charge.”

“RUC’s are approximately 15% of the operating costs for a heavy vehicle operator so a RUC exemption is a good first step towards the initial uptake of emerging electric technologies.”

“The Road Transport Forum will continue to proactively engage with the innovators and regulators at the forefront of these new technologies to maximise the potential benefits for our industry and the broader New Zealand economy,” says Shirley.

Tesla co-founder and Wrightspeed hybrid powertrain inventor Ian Wright is the keynote speaker at the Road Transport Forum’s Annual Conference in Tauranga, 27/28 October 2016.

ENDS

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