So much talk recently on proposed new vehicle fuel efficiency standards due on January 1, next year. It’s obvious that our current best-selling utes and four- wheel-drives will carry significant price increases under the proposed new rules. Mitsubishi Australia CEO Shaun Westcott has warned manufacturers will be forced to lift the price of their “dirtier” models to ensure they continue to make a profit under the new rules. Such high-pollution vehicles can remain on sale under the new rules but to avoid hefty fines, they must be offset by volumes of low and zero emission vehicles to bring down the amount of CO2 produced on average across a car makers range. Shaun Westcott warns that Mitsubishi may not be able to sell enough low emission cars to cancel out its biggest polluters and may have to inflate its Ute and 4WD prices to offset any fines.

Download this podcast here