New Zealand Government Exempts EVs from Road User Charges
The New Zealand government has announced that electric vehicles (EVs) in the country will be exempted from road user charges (RUC) for four years in order to promote alternatively fuelled vehicles in the country, reports Scoop.co.nz. New Zealand Transport Minister Steven Joyce said that, “The Government sees private vehicles continuing to be the most significant mode of transportation for most New Zealanders. Therefore it is important that we encourage the use of alternative fuel technologies in order to help meet our environmental obligations over time.” He added that, “There are very few electric vehicles currently in the fleet and the forgone revenue costs will not be significant. This is about government supporting a new fuel technology and encouraging early adopters.”Significance: At present, light electric vehicles with weight of up to 3.5 tonnes are classed as diesel vehicles for the purpose of the RUC, which results in cost of almost NZ$0.04 (US$0.025) per km. According to the New Zealand government, encouraging the EVs in the country is in line with the country’s competitive advantage in renewable electricity generation which, if combined with efficient electric motors, can result in a significant reduction in harmful emissions. (June 17, 2009)