In November 2025, Transport Minister Chris Bishop announced significant amendments to the Clean Car Standard (CCS), marking a major shift in Aotearoa New Zealand’s effort to cutting transport emissions.
Drive Electric board chair, Kirsten Corson, has spoken widely in the media about the potential impact of these changes and what they mean for Kiwi households and our wider economy.
The first stage of a two-stage review is now under way. By the second quarter of 2026, the Government will decide whether the Standard is retained or abolished entirely.
WHY RETAINING THE CCS IS IMPORTANT
As the leading voice for e-mobility in Aotearoa, Drive Electric strongly advocates for the retention of a regulated CO2 standard as a vital economic and environmental shield for Aotearoa. While current market conditions are challenging, the CCS is the primary mechanism preventing the country from becoming a dumping ground for obsolete, high-emission technology.
The transition to a clean fleet is not just a climate imperative but an economic one. Modelling shows that weakening or removing the standard would lock New Zealanders into billions of dollars in avoidable fuel costs and increase the national healthcare burden. Rather than abolition, Drive Electric supports evolving the standard toward more visible, customer-facing mechanisms at registration that reinforce the total cost-of-ownership advantage of EVs.
DRIVE ELECTRIC’S SUBMISSION TO THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT
The Government invited Drive Electric to provide input on three core questions:
IMPACT
If the Clean Car Standard were abolished, what do you see as the key risks or impacts?
RETENTION
Do you support New Zealand continuing to have a regulated fuel efficiency/CO2 standard? Why or why not?
ALTERNATIVES
Are there alternatives (e.g., voluntary industry standards) that you believe would work better for New Zealand?
We sort feedback from our membership base to inform our submission and best reflect the collective expertise and real-world experiences of fleet operators, energy companies, charge point operators, vehicle importers and industry leader.
Drive Electric regularly meets with and advises key political figures and decision-makers in the transport sector, submits advisory papers on e-mobility legislation, and contributes to government-led policy development groups — helping to shape Aotearoa’s transition to cleaner, smarter transport.
Become a member, stay connected and be part of the journey.