Clean Vehicle Standard retained, but penalty sits far below Australia's

Transport Minister Chris Bishop has confirmed the Clean Vehicle Standard will be retained, after cutting penalties nearly 80 percent in November 2025. Importers said they could not source enough low-emissions vehicles to avoid charges. New Zealand's penalty now sits at roughly $15 per gram of CO₂ over the limit, compared with $50–$100 per gram under Australia's equivalent scheme. New targets are due from 1 January 2028.