BUSINESS
Kiwis Split On Clean Car Scheme, But Big Potential Market Change The Government’s clean car scheme, which took effect on July 1, has split support from Kiwis. Regardless, enough drivers seem motivated by the cash rebates on offer to significantly change New Zealand’s new and used vehicle markets.
orizon Research has released a large, independent survey on the scheme conducted after it was announced in June. It reveals 35 percent of Kiwis are in support, with 40 percent opposed. However, overall, the policy creates a potential market of more than 406,000 adults (including around 30 percent of current EV or hybrid owners) who say it will make them more likely to buy lower-emission new and used electric and hybrid vehicles. Nearly 1,500 survey participants were asked: ‘Overall, do you support or oppose the policy to provide cash rebates for new and used low emission vehicles, and charge a fee for buying high emissions new and used vehicles?’ Results show 14.7 percent ‘strongly support’; 19.7 percent ‘support’; 20.2 percent ‘neither support nor oppose’; 15.7 percent ‘oppose’; 24.1 percent ‘strongly oppose’; and 5.7 percent were ‘not really sure’. Horizon says support rises as incomes and as formal education levels rise. There is, however, no difference by gender nor is support affected by the age of vehicle people currently own. Support for the
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scheme is the strongest among 18–24-year-olds and 25–34-year-olds. Support is also higher than average among those who don’t own a vehicle; current hatchback owners; current owners of EVs, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles; and those living in Auckland and Canterbury. Support is lowest among those who have a ute, an SUV or a van as their main vehicle; those whose main vehicle has diesel as a fuel; and those living in Northland, Waikato/Coromandel, Taranaki, Nelson/Tasman/Marlborough, West Coast and Otago. In July, clean car sales rose substantially compared with June this year. Last month, 760 pure electric vehicles, 431 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and 1,163 hybrids vehicles were sold - the highest combined total on record. This compares to a total of just 521 in June. Horizon said the future decisions of just over 10 percent of adults, a nett 406,200 people, could change to cleaner vehicles as a result of the scheme - revealing a significant potential market shift. (The timeframe over which this shift could happen was not measured).
