Electric vehicle market share of new car sales in New Zealand has soared from four per cent to 20 per cent in recent months and figures show about 62 per cent of Kiwis believe the standards are good policy for the nation.

Introducing the standards in Australia would mean car manufacturers are required to not exceed emissions caps across the average of new vehicles they sell.

They would be required to pay a penalty for exceeding set carbon emissions targets.

Experts say this would help reduce transport emissions, give customers more choice and potentially reduce petrol pump costs.

EVC believes the number one barrier to transport electrification is the low supply of EV models due to a combined lack of mandatory fuel efficiency standards and of national purchase incentives.

Last year, the federal government’s landmark Climate Change Bills passed in the Senate as Australia worked to achieve its targets of a 43 per cent emissions reduction and net zero emissions by 2050.

EVC chief executive Behyad Jafari said fuel efficiency standards were long overdue and delaying them would reduce the nation’s ability to reach its emissions targets.

“Australia is one of the last developed nations on earth not to introduce fuel efficiency standards … If we don’t speed up the process today it puts Australia’s ability to meet its emissions reduction targets from transport out of reach, passing the burden on to farmers and manufacturers,” Jafari said.