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There’s also been some concern that the NVES will punish those who buy large or commercial vehicles, as well as those who can’t afford the outright costs for an EV – more on this later.

Here’s the thing to remember: the car industry itself largely supports the introduction of a fuel-efficiency standard in Australia. The NVES also brings Australian standards into line with OECD countries, as we’ve been lagging behind for some years now.

How unusual is the new standard internationally?

Not unusual at all. While we’ve had voluntary standards since 1978, Australia has actually been one of the only developed nations to not have a mandatory fuel emissions standard in place. In fact, it’s been just us and Russia as the exceptions. Over 85% of cars sold worldwide are already covered by a fuel efficiency standard, including in The European Union, Canada, the US, and Japan.

Here’s another interesting note: In some places that have had a standard in place for a long time, such as the US and Canada, there’s been no real-world evidence these standards led to an increase in vehicle prices.

When we look at this issue globally, there’s been little incentive for manufacturers to send their most efficient technology to Australia rather than countries with standards in place. This has actually led to less choice of efficient, hybrid and EV options. So to some extent, we’ve been offloaded with less efficient cars in the past because we didn’t have targets. Why be a dumping ground for old tech when we could be paying less at the bowser instead?

Will this stop me from buying a ute or 4x4 – or force me to buy an EV?

The emissions targets are designed to average out across the whole car maker’s range, leaving some wiggle room when it comes to choosing which vehicles to sell. So automakers could choose to sell a heavy 4x4, plus a very efficient small car, and still meet their target. As proof, there’s still plenty of choice in 4x4s, utes and SUVs in overseas markets where there are strict emissions standards in place. So while the NVES encourages more efficient design over time, it still leaves space and options for all types of drivers.

So what’s the verdict?

If overseas standards are anything to go by, we can look forward to cars that are cheaper to run as the major car brands adapt. We could see more variety from brands that have been focusing on one vehicle type, and better tech landing on our shores. And as the standard rolls out in coming years, that also means more efficient options as you browse second-hand vehicles for sale. Even now, you can filter your used car search on Carma by CO2 emissions to find yourself a car that’s efficient and affordable to run.

So time will tell. The standard and test protocols might need fine-tuning over time, and we’ll see how the car makers find their balance in this new landscape. But ultimately, it’s quite probably long overdue – and a big step towards cleaner, cheaper driving in Australia.