Used import cars jeopardise meeting clean-air rules

By ALASTAIR SLOANE

New Zealand's heavy reliance on imported used vehicles to renew its national fleet is making it harder to meet clean-air Kyoto Protocol targets, says Toyota New Zealand chairman Bob Field.

He says two of every three cars coming into New Zealand are used imports. Their average age is increasing and the trend towards older four-wheel-drive vehicles is "particularly unhealthy".

"While we understand Government policy that allows market access for second-hand imports, the community must also accept that this access comes with an environmental cost," said Field.

The cost included a delay in new fuel and exhaust emission technology coming to New Zealand.

Many of the used imports have modern exhaust emissions technology, required by law in their country of origin, removed in New Zealand.

"In addition, used imports have half of the economic life of a new vehicle, so the number of end-of-life vehicles which will have to be disposed of in New Zealand would double."

Field, speaking at the launch of the petrol/electric Prius, said 70 per cent of the world's air pollution comes from transport, most of it from motor vehicles.

He said the increasing number of vehicles in the past 40 years has more than offset improvements in exhaust emissions. Vehicle sales worldwide are predicted to grow to 100 million a year by 2020.

"The number of vehicles in daily use worldwide would grow from the current level of about 740 million to more than one billion by 2020, an increase of 35 per cent," he said, adding that many in the motor industry believe fossil fuels will remain plentiful for another decade or so and then run out, causing increases in fuel prices and panic switching to other forms of energy.

"The United States and New Zealand have the highest vehicle ownership per person in the world, and it is no coincidence that we also have one of the world's lowest prices for petrol," he said.

"If petrol prices were higher, people would more seriously consider driving a fuel-efficient one-litre car for city commuting and would hire a V8 four-wheel-drive for the once-a-year skiing trip.

"More motorists using small fuel-efficient cars in the city would assist traffic flows, reduce exhaust emissions and improve fuel consumption."

The two biggest-selling new vehicles in New Zealand are large (Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon) four-litre cars. The top-selling used imports are four-wheel-drives.

"With freedom of choice, low fuel costs, and rising incomes, people are demanding more and more from their vehicles - more power, more room and more style, but not necessarily better fuel economy," said Field.

But until the advent of the Toyota Prius, the design concept in terms of a car's power plant had not developed in line with other technologies. "New Zealand is the smallest car market to be granted access to this revolutionary car, and one of the key justifications for this is our Government's commitment to the Kyoto Protocol," he said.