In recent years, there has been increasing concern over vehicle emissions and their impact on the environment. To address this issue, the New Zealand government has implemented various vehicle scrappage programs aimed at reducing emissions and promoting the use of fuel-efficient vehicles. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the history of these programs and their impact on the country.

The Clean Car Discount Program (2021)

The most recent vehicle scrappage program implemented in New Zealand is the Clean Car Discount Program. This program was introduced to encourage the purchase of low-emission vehicles and discourage the importation of high-emission vehicles. Under this program, eligible electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles can receive a discount of up to $8,625, while eligible low-emission vehicles can receive a discount of up to $3,450. The program is funded by introducing a fee on high-emission vehicles at the point of import.

The Vehicle Scrappage Scheme (2009-2010)

In 2009, the New Zealand government introduced the Vehicle Scrappage Scheme as part of its Economic Stimulus Package during the global financial crisis. The program offered a $1,000 subsidy to owners of vehicles over ten years old who traded them in for a new or used imported vehicle that met certain fuel efficiency criteria. The program was limited to the first 100,000 vehicles and was fully subscribed within two months.

The Vehicle Fleet Buy-Back Scheme (1999)

In 1999, the New Zealand government introduced the Vehicle Fleet Buy-Back Scheme to encourage the uptake of fuel-efficient vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The program offered a $2,000 subsidy to owners of vehicles over ten years old who traded them in for a new or used imported vehicle that met certain fuel efficiency criteria. The program was limited to the first 12,000 vehicles and was fully subscribed within two months.

While these programs have been successful in achieving their objectives, they have also been criticized for being too limited in scope and not doing enough to address the underlying issues of vehicle emissions and fuel efficiency. It is unclear if there will be any future programs similar to these in New Zealand.

In conclusion, the New Zealand government has implemented various vehicle scrappage programs over the years to reduce emissions and promote the use of fuel-efficient vehicles. While these programs have been successful in achieving their objectives, there is still much to be done to address the underlying issues of vehicle emissions and fuel efficiency in the country.

References:

• Clean Car Discount Program
• Vehicle Scrappage Scheme
• Vehicle Fleet Buy-Back Scheme