Vehicle Emissions and Energy Economy Labelling Programme

Short answer – laboratory testing by manufacturers to internationally set standards. 

For background, New Zealand legislation requires CO2 tailpipe emissions and energy consumption information to be provided by the vehicle manufacturer or importer when a vehicle is first certified for use in New Zealand. 

The information is obtained by the manufacturer when a new vehicle is tested in accordance with international test standards in a laboratory. 

The figures don’t account for variables such as driving style, traffic conditions or other factors that may impact on CO2 emissions and energy economy. Therefore it provides a standardised way to compare one vehicle against another, but it is not a guarantee of the CO2 emissions and energy economy an individual driver will achieve. 

The information is provided to Waka Kotahi/New Zealand Transport Agency and uploaded into the Motor Vehicle Register database, and the Fuelsaver database from which EECA’s Emissions and Energy Economy Label Generator draws data. 

The test results are translated into a simple star rating out of six for CO2 emissions and for energy economy. There is one rating scale for all vehicles, with six stars for vehicles that are the most efficient, and the least number of stars for the highest CO2 emitters and biggest gas guzzlers. 

The energy prices used in the energy economy rating calculation are regularly reviewed, although will only be changed if there's been a significant and stable shift in actual energy prices. The distance people travel also varies considerably, so an average of 14,000km (as used by the AA and Inland Revenue) has been used in the calculation. 

Fuel consumption information rule (external link)

If there's clearly a mistake in the database, for example if you enter the plate number of a Toyota and get a label for a Holden, or if you have other information that shows different CO2 emissions and energy economy figures for the same vehicle, please let us know. 

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The CO2 emissions and energy economy database doesn’t make allowances for individual vehicles that have undergone modifications, or for wear and tear. The information is based on CO2 emissions and energy economy when the vehicle was tested new, under laboratory conditions. It is not a guarantee of the actual CO2 emissions and energy economy that an individual driver will achieve. 

CO₂ emissions and energy economy data is available for most cars manufactured after 2000 and some cars manufactured from 1992-1999. 

If CO₂ emissions and energy economy information isn’t available for a vehicle you’re selling it’s not compulsory to display a label. You can display the label from EECA’s Vehicle Emissions and Energy Economy Label Generator that shows the information was not available for the vehicle. 

CO₂ emissions and energy economy information is often missing if a car was: 

• manufactured before 2000 
• New Zealand-new between 2000 and 2004 (before we started collecting the information on new cars) 
• a used import from Japan between 2000 and 2004 (information may not be valid). 

The Cost Per Year is an estimate of a vehicle’s energy cost over a year based on declared energy consumption figures, a nominated cost per litre of petrol or diesel, or for electric vehicles, cost per kilowatt hour of electricity, and driving 14,000 km per year. For diesel, electric, and plug-in hybrid vehicles the cost per year includes road user charges. For plug-in hybrids, both the petrol and electric energy components are considered. 

Energy prices used are nominated figures for comparative purposes only. Actual energy prices will vary. To obtain a more accurate Cost Per Year figure for a specific vehicle you should consider the petrol, diesel or electricity pricing you actually pay based on your individual circumstances. 

The electricity price used for electric vehicles’ Cost Per Year is based on an off-peak rate of $0.15 per kWh. Your actual cost will vary depending on a variety of factors including your electricity pricing plan and use of off-peak home charging. Many electricity retailers offer special power plans designed specifically for EVs with even cheaper night power prices. 

Charging your EV at home is the most cost-effective way to recharge. It is estimated that over 80% of EV charging is done at home - almost always overnight when off-peak rates apply. 

The energy prices on the labels are for comparison purposes only, and used to calculate an estimated vehicle energy cost per year. They are representative figures, so won’t be updated every time fuel or electricity prices change. Prices are reviewed every 12 months. 

Any updates are notified to all motor vehicle traders in advance, so labels and information can be updated and replaced by a given date. The information is updated in the database used for generating labels and online listings, so these automatically reflect the new values from the given date.