Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) is now in effect, and electric vehicle (EV)-only brand Polestar has confirmed it will sell the emissions ‘credits’ it accrues to brands struggling with their EV uptake.
The NVES requires all manufacturers operating in Australia to comply with annual average fleet-wide carbon dioxide emission targets under the veses. All of these targets will be stricter each year, and any brand that does not meet these criteria will face fine.
However, if one brand is above the target of its fleet-wide goal – especially in case of plug-in hybrid-heavy and EV-only brands they’ll earn ‘credits’ that can either be used to meet stricter targets in the next year or sell to other brands to help meet their targets.
The NVES has been widely expected to be one of several brands with credits in demand, as Polestar is a Geely-owned brand that operates an exclusively electric lineup worldwide.
Polestar Australia managing director Scott Maynard confirmed to media today “We’ve been interested in our credits, and we’ll sell them” – without telling anyone who is interested.
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Polestar 3
He said “[It’s] still a commercial-in-confidence conversation that would not let us name anyone, but I think it is right to [sell credits] for us.
Some brands have little to no electrification (like Isuzu Ute Australia) and brands that offer EVs but are so far struggling to sell them in large numbers, including Ford and Subaru.
For 2026, all passenger-car lineups cannot exceed a fleet-wide average of 117g/km of carbon dioxide emissions, while light commercial vehicles and heavy-duty SUVs are limited to 180g/km. For reference, a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid emits roughly 109g/km, while a turbo-diesel Isuzu D-Max emits 185g/km.
Mr Maynard said ‘If there are brands out there that don’t go to clean or low-emission technology, which do not invest in that research and development (and I think it’s fair and reasonable) for those who haven’T invested money they’ve earned from [internal combustion] to those that are investing [in low emission tech] at high cost.
I think it’s a good thing that the government doesn’t collect that, but allows it to be transferred because it encourages continued investment and is “an important part of the program” with some authenticity. He said ‘Although s are in the line, “
A critical response from Australian automotive bodies, particularly the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), has been claiming that NVES could lead to a “lower-than-anticipated adoption of low emissions technologies” and making “new cars more expensive”.
Polestar 4
Polestar has long rebutted these claims and instead welcomed the NVES, opting to leave the FCAI in protest alongside fellow EV-only brand Tesla in early 2024.
Many brands are in Australia selling cars that Australians love to drive, saying their range of models is so good they can make it under the standards – which means we won’t have to pass these costs on motorists.
When brands are out there claiming they will [need to pass on costs] will be “relegated” into an inferior role (not more expensive drivers) because they’ll have a choice. Paraphrasing ‘It is an important part of my life to be paraphrased.
Polestar has previously said the targets of the NVES mean the credits offer little financial value.
“I don’t think it’s [the value of the credits] going to be that high, only because the standards –particularly in the industry here – are low enough that most brands can comfortably slide underneath them,” Mr Maynard told Australian media in July 2025.
The word cloud of NVES has been very thick, but now it’s here and the job is to knuckle down and get it done. I think that most of the brands operating this country are well within reach. The , “It’s a great deal of fun.”
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