KEY POINTS:
A Northland man says the Government is refusing to allow him to import an electric car, and accuses ministers of paying lip service to sustainable energy solutions.
Ulrich Schmid has tried for the past two years to import a $45,000 battery-powered car from Europe, a car that is
manufactured only with left-hand steering.
"I've been looking into getting one for a long, long time," he says. "It's no big deal making electric cars, they've always been available. But living in New Zealand, it is extremely difficult to get one."
Because the steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car for New Zealand roads, a special permit must be obtained through Land Transport New Zealand.
But this has proved impossible to get, and Mr Schmid is not satisfied with the response he has been given by LTNZ and Associate Transport Minister Harry Duynhoven.
"I have tried all avenues but have hit a brick wall wherever I went."
He was cynical about the unveiling of an electric car by Energy Minister David Parker at Waikato University last week.
In the past he had written to Mr Parker to get a permit to import an electric car from Switzerland.
He felt Mr Parker had made it clear that sustainable transport options were the way of the future.
"I said to him, 'Look, if you can organise me a special exemption, maybe I can import two [electric cars] and can sell you one'."
But the letter was referred to Associate Transport Minister Harry Duynhoven.
While Mr Duynhoven had acknowledged the environmental benefits of electric cars, the permit refusal stood because exemptions were reserved for "classical and unique vehicles" that were used infrequently.
But Mr Schmid said the electric car he wanted was classical and unique, in that it had special characteristics.
These included an engine that emitted zero carbon emissions and made little noise.
Yesterday Mr Duynhoven said a policy review was under way over steering system rules, which were largely aimed at collectors of classic cars. "I have to operate under the rules I have got."
Mr Schmid had not qualified for an exemption under those rules because he would be a daily, rather than an occasional, user of a left-hand drive vehicle.
However, Mr Duynhoven said he understood Mitsubishi was to launch an electric car worldwide next year.
Mr Schmid was invited by Mr Duynhoven to become part of the consultation process on steering-system rule changes, but he felt he was being blinded by bureaucracy.
He was not interested in getting involved in the development of new rules.
"The fact is that people who want to buy and import an electric vehicle from overseas face endless obstacles from all sides due to antiquated laws and regulations in New Zealand."
The international market for electric cars was struggling to get beyond its infancy because of lobbying by oil and petrol-powered car industry conglomerates, Mr Schmid said.
"You should see the video Who killed the electric car? It may make you look at things differently."
Government statements about environmentally sustainable energy solutions were "all talk".