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Land Transport Act 1998

Clean vehicle standard - Preliminary provisions

172: Interpretation in this Part

You could also call this:

“Words and meanings used in the clean vehicle standards part of the law”

In this part of the law, you’ll find explanations of important terms used when talking about clean vehicle standards. Here’s what they mean:

An ‘approved test cycle’ is called the WLTP. This is a way to measure how much carbon dioxide a car produces.

There are two types of people who bring light vehicles into New Zealand. ‘Category 1 light vehicle importers’ are businesses that bring in new or used light vehicles and are approved by the Director. ‘Category 2 light vehicle importers’ are anyone else who brings in a new or used light vehicle.

Both types of importers have targets for how much carbon dioxide their vehicles can produce. These targets are worked out using special formulas in the rules.

An ‘excluded vehicle’ is a vehicle that the rules say doesn’t count for this part of the law.

‘Imported’ has a special meaning that you can find in section 173 of this law.

A ‘new’ light vehicle is one that hasn’t been registered before. A ‘used’ vehicle has been registered before, either in New Zealand or another country.

The ‘obligation year’ is from 1 January to 31 December each year.

There are two types of vehicles talked about in this law. ‘Type A vehicles’ are usually cars for carrying passengers, with up to 9 seats. ‘Type B vehicles’ are usually bigger passenger vehicles with more than 9 seats, or vehicles for carrying goods.

When the law talks about how much carbon dioxide a vehicle produces, it means how many grams of carbon dioxide come out of the exhaust for each kilometre the vehicle travels. This is measured using the WLTP test.

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Part 13 Clean vehicle standard
Preliminary provisions

172Interpretation in this Part

  1. In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires,—

    approved test cycle means the WLTP

      category 1 light vehicle importer means a person who carries on the business of importing new or used light vehicles and whom the Director approves as a category 1 light vehicle importer under the regulations

        category 1 light vehicle importer fleet target means a vehicle carbon dioxide emissions target for a category 1 light vehicle importer calculated in accordance with the formula prescribed by the regulations

          category 2 light vehicle importer means any person who imports a new or used light vehicle and who is not a category 1 light vehicle importer

            category 2 light vehicle importer target means a vehicle carbon dioxide emissions target calculated for a category 2 light vehicle importer, in respect of a vehicle, in accordance with the formula prescribed by the regulations

              excluded vehicle means a vehicle declared by the regulations to be an excluded vehicle for the purposes of this Part

                imported has the meaning given in section 173

                  new, in relation to a light vehicle, means a vehicle that is not a used vehicle

                    obligation year means the relevant calendar year starting on 1 January and ending on the close of 31 December

                      regulations means regulations made under section 167C

                        Type A vehicle means—

                        1. a light motor vehicle that—
                          1. is constructed primarily for the carriage of passengers and has not more than 9 seating positions (including the driver’s seating position); and
                            1. either has at least 4 wheels or has 3 wheels and a gross vehicle mass exceeding 1,000 kg; and
                              1. is not an excluded vehicle:
                              2. any vehicle or class of vehicle that is declared by the regulations to be a Type A vehicle for the purposes of this Part

                                Type B vehicle means—

                                1. a light motor vehicle that—
                                  1. is constructed primarily for—
                                    1. the carriage of passengers and has more than 9 seating positions (including the driver’s seating position); or
                                      1. the carriage of goods and either has at least 4 wheels or has 3 wheels and a gross vehicle mass exceeding 1,000 kg; and
                                      2. is not an excluded vehicle:
                                      3. any vehicle or class of vehicle that is declared by the regulations to be a Type B vehicle for the purposes of this Part

                                        used, in relation to a light vehicle, means a vehicle that has been registered under any of the following:

                                        1. Part 17 of this Act:
                                          1. the Transport Act 1962:
                                            1. the Transport (Vehicle and Driver Registration and Licensing) Act 1986:
                                              1. any corresponding enactment of another country

                                                vehicle importer means, as the case may require,—

                                                1. a category 1 light vehicle importer:
                                                  1. a category 2 light vehicle importer

                                                    WLTP means the three-phase variant of the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure cycle as specified in UN Regulation No. 154.

                                                    1. A reference in this Part to a specified level of vehicle carbon dioxide emissions is a reference to the number of grams of carbon dioxide emitted per kilometre measured in accordance with the WLTP.

                                                    Notes
                                                    • Section 172: inserted, on , by section 10 of the Land Transport (Clean Vehicles) Amendment Act 2022 (2022 No 2).