Farmers Call for Exception to New Emissions ‘Tax’ on Vehicles

Australian farmers are worried that the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) to be introduced by the federal Labor government will technically impose a “ute tax” on the sector. This comes after the government announced plans to bring in the new standard for all new vehicles sold in Australia from Jan. 1, 2025. Under the proposal, the government will limit the carbon emissions (measured in grams per kilometre or CO2 g/km) produced each year by the fleet of vehicles that dealers can import into Australia. The limit is reduced for each subsequent year, making the standard more stringent over time and forcing suppliers to sell more “clean” cars to meet the requirements....