Labor and Greens Carbon Dioxide ‘Tax on Family Cars and Utes’ Passes Parliament

The Coalition has raised concerns the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) will be a “tax” on family cars and utes, following the passage of the legislation through parliament. The new standard aims to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from new cars, sports utility cars, utes, and vans to push more low and zero-emissions vehicles into the Australian market. The legislation will tally up the CO2 emissions of new cars on the market, rewarding automotive dealers that sell low-emissions cars and penalising those that do not, according to an explanatory memorandum on the Act (pdf). While the new law will not ban the sale of SUVs or large passenger vehicles, it will reward suppliers that sell cars that emit less carbon dioxide, while imposing penalties on suppliers of polluting cars....