A new carbon emissions scheme will apply to all new cars, taxis and newly imported used cars registered with effect from Jan 1, 2013.
The Carbon Emissions-Based Vehicle Scheme (CEVS) will replace the existing Green Vehicle Rebate (GVR) scheme for cars and taxis based on engine types which is set to expire on Dec 31, 2012.
The new scheme adopts a broader outcome-based approach and takes into consideration vehicles’ carbon emissions and fuel efficiency to encourage consumers to shift to low emission models.
Under the CEVS, all new car and imported used cars registered from Jan 1, 2013 with low carbon emissions of less than or equal to 160g of CO2/km will qualify for rebates between $5,000 and $20,000.
These will be used to offset the vehicle's Additional Registration Fee (ARF), subject to a minimum ARF of $5,000.
Cars with high carbon emissions equal to or more than 211g of CO2/km, will incur a corresponding registration surcharge between $5,000 and $20,000.
However non-Euro V standard compliant diesel models will not enjoy the ARF rebates even if they fall within the rebate emission bands.
The Land Transport Authority says this is because they emit significantly more fine particulate matter. This applies to both cars and taxis.
To encourage taxi companies to adopt lower emission models for their fleets, taxis get a 50 per cent higher CEVS rebate and registration surcharge, compared to cars, that is set between $7,500 and $30,000. Taxis generally clock higher mileage than cars and as such, factor more strongly in terms of carbon emissions.
The CEVS rebates will be handed out from Jan 1, 2013 while the surcharges will only take effect six months later, from July 1, 2013, to give consumers and the motor industry more time to adjust.
The CEVS will run until Dec 31, 2014, after which it will be reviewed.
Its impact on motorists’ purchasing decision, technological advances and the progress in Singapore’s overall mitigation efforts on climate change will be considered, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
The GVR scheme for commercial vehicles, buses and motorcycles will be extended for another two years to Dec 31, 2014 as LTA reviews how to better encourage the shift to low carbon emission models in these vehicle categories.
To assist car buyers in making informed decisions, the CO2/km data for each car model will be provided on mandatory information labels at car showrooms.
A new Fuel Economy Labelling Scheme (FELS) online website will be set up, along with a fuel cost calculator, so that buyers can easily access and compare the carbon emissions and fuel efficiency performance data across car models.
These changes will be made progressively after LTA takes over the administration of FELS from the National Environment Agency around mid-2012. More details on FELS will be made available then.
