Robert McLachlan: Two countries in the world have introduced Road User Charges for EVs, Iceland and New Zealand. In Iceland, EV sales are down 70%; in NZ, down 76%. Iceland EV market share 15% vs 61% for 2023; NZ, 3.5% vs 15% for 2023.

Two countries in the world have introduced Road User Charges for EVs, Iceland and New Zealand. In Iceland, EV sales are down 70%; in NZ, down 76%. Iceland EV market share 15% vs 61% for 2023; NZ, 3.5% vs 15% for 2023.

Post hoc ergo propter hoc

It's not the RUC that killed EV uptake here, 100% down to scrapping the clean car discount. The barrier to entry is and was, PRICE.

Yeah $45-90k for an EV is way out of whack where $3-9k ICE vehicles are a thing

Local car lot used to be full of cheap, ~20k, EVs. Last time I was in they had one Leaf. Fella there says RUC plus end of CCD makes people think EVs are expensive now. They now want hybrids so his lot now full of those. Turners also now awash with ex-fleet, three year old EVs coming off lease.

And hybrids still burn petrol, it's just so utterly infuriating that we've allowed this to happen

And Brown has only named vehicle importers as those he'll consult with on for setting fleet average emissions standards. That's right, standards to be set against what Rangers and Hiluxes belch out.

I'm still staggered that there's no emissions testing for the WOF, it's the best way to remove really polluting vehicles from the fleet

But cleaning that up would save lives and millions of dollars across the economy. On the other hand the motor trade doesn't want that.