11. CHARLES CHAUVEL (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister of Energy
What initiatives is the Government considering to assist consumers to choose more energy-efficient vehicles?
Hon DAVID PARKER (Minister of Energy) Link to this
The Government yesterday released a proposal to provide vehicle fuel economy information at point of sale for both new and used vehicles. This will give New Zealanders information they need when purchasing a car. It builds on the fuelsaver website launched earlier this year. This Government-managed website provides fuel efficiency information for new and most second-hand vehicles. With vehicle labelling at point of sale, people will choose more fuel-efficient cars. This will not only save them money every week at the petrol pump; it will reduce particulate emissions, which are harmful to human health, and it will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Are there concerns about how accurate the vehicle fuel economy information at point of sale will be?
In practice, we cannot test every vehicle every time it is sold. The best information at present available is the international data produced for the vehicle model when it was made. As vehicles age, their relative fuel efficiency compared with other similar vehicle choices will still be valid. It is good to provide energy efficiency information for washing machines and for dishwashers, for TVs and for fridges, but it is certainly more important to do it for cars.
Hon Dr Nick Smith Link to this
I seek leave to table the list of ministerial self-drive cars, so that the public might see the choice of gas guzzlers that this Government committed to zero carbons is driving.
Madam SPEAKER