Transporting New Zealand Urges Government to Encourage Heavier EV Uptake
Friday 19 January 2024, 12:37PM
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The decision by the New Zealand government to end the Road User Charges (RUC) exemption for light electric vehicles (EVs) from April is a positive step towards road repair, but may slow down light EV uptake, according to road freight peak body Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand.
The body is also calling on the government to encourage heavier EV uptake by enabling greater subsidies and introducing benefits for low and zero-emission commercial vehicles, such as accelerated interest depreciation and permission for class 1 licensed drivers to operate small electric trucks.
Currently, zero-emission heavy vehicles are exempt from RUC payments until December 2025.
Transporting New Zealand says that although it supports the decarbonisation of road freight transport, operators need help from the government to achieve this.