Industry fears tradies will face higher ute prices under government emission reduction plan

Utes, vans, and other light commercial vehicles should be excluded from the federal government’s emission reduction plans, the Housing Industry Association says, claiming tradespeople could face significant premiums when upgrading their vehicles under Canberra’s preferred reforms.

In an attempt to minimise the greenhouse gas emissions caused by Australian road users, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, and the Arts is consulting with the community on its New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).

Australia and Russia are among the only advanced global economies not to have a fuel efficiency standard for road cars, which the federal government suggests leads to less-fuel-efficient vehicles on Australian roads, higher fuel expenses per vehicle, and significant greenhouse gas emissions.