New Zealand - Update: Euro 6/VI Consultation document, Draft Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Exhaust Emissions Amendment 2023

​This notification advises that the Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Exhaust Emissions Amendment 2023 (notified as G/TBT/N/NZL/124) was adopted on October 12, 2023. The Rule will phase-in new emissions standards for the following groups of vehicles: light vehicles, heavy vehicles, motorcycles/mopeds, and used disability vehicles.

Following consultation on the Amendment Rule, the following changes to phase-in periods have been made to support industry to transition to the new requirements:
- For newly approved light vehicle models, Euro 6d will be required from July 1, 2027, rather than from February 1, 2025,
- For new existing light vehicle models, Euro 6d will be required from July 1, 2028 rather than from February 1, 2026.
- For light vehicle used-imports, Euro 6d will be required from July 1, 2028 rather than from January 1, 2028.
- For heavy vehicles, Euro VI-c will remain the exhaust emissions standard from November 1, 2026 rather than strengthening to Euro VI-e on that date.
- For used vehicles that have been modified for disabled people, Euro 6d will be required from January 1, 2031 rather than from January 1, 2028.
- For used light and heavy vehicle imports, the minimum requirement will shift from Euro 4/IV to Euro 5/V from April 30, 2024, rather than from February 1, 2024, including for vehicles that have been modified for disabled people.
- For mopeds and motorcycles, Euro 4 will initially be required from April 30, 2025, rather than February 1, 2025, and then Euro 5 will be required from January 1, 2027.

The following proposals in the amendment Rule remain unchanged:
- For newly approved heavy vehicle models, Euro VI-c will be required from November 1, 2024.
- For all heavy vehicle imports, Euro VI-c will be required from November 1, 2025.

New Zealand currently accepts the use of several international standards (European, Japanese, American, and Australian, and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) to demonstrate emissions levels. This approach will continue. The Amendment Rule also included some minor technical changes to outdated and redundant information in the principal Rule.​