New Zealanders are close to world leaders in car ownership with more than 740 cars per 1000 people (as at end 2014). Motor vehicles are a significant contributor to air pollution in most urban areas across the country. Although domestic fire emissions dominate wintertime air pollution, vehicle emissions are relatively constant throughout the year.
The composition of our vehicle fleet has a significant influence on emissions because different types of vehicles emit very different amounts of pollution.
The New Zealand vehicle fleet has many unique features when compared to vehicle fleets in other countries.
The Ministry of Transport (MoT) reports annual and quarterly vehicle fleet statistics and trends(external link) going back to 2000 using data from the Motor Vehicle Register (which is in turn managed by the Transport Agency).
For further information contact environment@nzta.govt.nz.