The Australian Government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) went into effect on January 1, 2025, and China’s GWM claims it’ll “thrive” amid the new emissions regulations.
GWM Australia has admitted it needs to introduce more hybrid and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) offerings to meet tightening CO2 emissions targets.
The company already offers five hybrids and one electric vehicle (EV), but in 2025 it plans to launch an additional four PHEVs. These include the Haval H6 GT PHEV, Cannon Alpha PHEV, Haval H6 PHEV, and Tank 500 PHEV.
The Chinese carmaker’s Australian arm confirmed it doesn’t plan to introduce any new EVs to sit alongside the Ora hatchback this year.
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Speaking with CarExpert, GWM Australia head of marketing and communications Steve Maciver said there’s “additional EV investment and product development happening” and it’s something the company will be able to talk about “in the coming months”.
Despite this, Mr Maciver says GWM is still giving its customers choice and is continuing to invest in internal combustion engine technology.
“By bringing the right vehicles at the right price, GWM is democratising technology and giving our customers choice. We think that’s crucially important,” said Mr Maciver.
“As a growing brand, with the uncertainties in [the] market, we’ve got the right solution for the right customer at the right price, depending on what powertrain option you feel most comfortable with.
“Well, we do believe that we are going to have to drive a much higher hybrid and PHEV mix to flourish in the NVES cycle.
“I think our model lineup shows that we’re going to be prepared to do that.
“But ultimately, if we do make our model range more accessible across Australia and New Zealand, there’s no doubt that we’re going to be able to achieve this.
“Ultimately, we are ready to thrive in the post-NVES period.”
As previously reported, NVES is a set of laws imposed to incentivise manufacturers to reduce CO2 emissions across their vehicle lineups.
All new passenger and light commercial vehicles sold with a mass of less than 4.5 tonnes are covered under the scheme.
If carmakers exceed an average carbon emissions target on the vehicles they sell each year, they will be penalised $100 per g/km of CO2 for every vehicle that exceeds the target.
To read more on NVES and how it could affect you, click here.
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