In 2026, the Ministry of Transport consulted on regulations to implement the Land Transport (Revenue) Amendment Bill, modernising the Road User Charges (RUC) system with a digital-first framework, alternative payment schemes, approved third-party providers and outcomes-focused standards for electronic distance recorders.

• The proposed differentiation between light and heavy vehicle electronic distance recorder requirements risks EVs being inadvertently reclassified as heavy vehicles because of battery mass.
• The consultation is silent on whether vehicle classification weight thresholds will be reviewed as part of this reform.
• Alternative payment schemes (Proposal 5) represent a significant opportunity to improve the EV ownership experience.
• Privacy and data protections are particularly important for EVs, given that telematics-based distance recording generates granular location and movement data.

Drive Electric’s Submission

Drive Electric broadly supports the intent of the Bill and proposed regulations, but submitted that the consultation document contains a significant gap: it does not address how the new framework will interact with the unique characteristics of electric vehicles, in particular their battery weight. As a concrete example, the LDV eDeliver 9 Big and Bigger — electric vans already on sale and in active commercial use in New Zealand — sit precisely at the 3,500kg light vehicle threshold, with the Cab Chassis variant already exceeding it. Drive Electric asked the Ministry to consider, as a matter of future-proofing, whether battery mass alone should determine light versus heavy vehicle classification as the electric fleet grows.

Download the full Drive Electric submission to the Ministry of Transport.

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.