Clean car tax ‘funding luxury buys’
Opposition slams feebate scheme for offering incentives on “high-end sports cars” while many people with no viable electric options at purchase time still face penalties.

The National Party has launched a new attack on the government’s clean car discount scheme, saying that tradies and farmers are effectively “subsidising already wealthy people into luxury cars”.
Simeon Brown, the party’s transport spokesman, says the feebate system has delivered millions of dollars in discounts to buyers of “flash cars” built by marques such as Tesla, Audi and BMW. He notes even a Porsche Cayenne has received a handout under the clean car programme.
“Data from NZTA shows the government has spent at least $7 million helping to get some 1,400 lucky Kiwis behind the wheel of a range of high-end sports cars,” explains Brown.
“Included in the list of vehicles the government has sent taxpayer money to are 325 BMWs, 114 Audis, 64 Mercedes-Benz, and even one Jaguar and one Porsche.
“That’s on top of the $40.9m that Transport Minister Michael Wood confirmed has been paid out to buyers of Teslas.”
Brown, pictured, says the government has spent almost $50m subsidising consumers purchasing luxury vehicles, “while doing nothing to support low-income earners into cleaner vehicles”.
“These subsidies are being paid for by hardworking farmers and tradies who, with no viable electric options available, are being taxed for purchasing the vehicles they need to do their work.
“The clean car rebate and car tax are a reverse-Robin Hood scheme. Hardworking Kiwis are being taxed for the vehicles they need, only for the proceeds to subsidise millionaires into high-end luxury cars.”