Drivers with a Class 1 licence will be able to legally operate heavier electric trucks under a new exemption announced by the NZ Transport Agency.

The Land Transport (Driver Licensing) Rule 1999: Drivers of Electric Trucks (up to 7,500kgs) Exemption Notice 2025 came into effect from February 28.

The temporary exemption allows Class 1 licence holders – who would typically be limited to vehicles with a gross laden weight (GLW) of up to 6000kg – to drive electric trucks up to 7500kg. Vehicle dimensions will remain the same.

The notice, signed by land transport director Brent Alderton, says the change is due to the additional weight of batteries in electric vehicles, which can push an electric truck over the usual Class 1 threshold.

“The land transport system is facing a challenge between the availability of cost efficient heavier electric vehicles and our current driver licensing system,” NZTA says.

Keeping battery electric trucks below the 6000kg weight threshold for driver licence Class 1, greatly reduces payload due to the weight of the batteries. The notice says achieving the equivalent payload in a battery electric truck requires the driver to move up to a Class 2 licence, creating a barrier in the uptake of BEVs.

“These BEVs require a higher driver licence class and may sit within the work time and logbook regime, making more sustainable and lower emission commercial transport options less attractive. This imposes compliance costs on industry for no safety benefit,” it says.

To qualify under the exemption, electric trucks must be within the same model range of a diesel equivalent, having the same braking system and carrying the batteries integrated within the chassis. The electric variant must not exceed the dimensions of the largest diesel version in the up to 6,000kg range.

The vehicle must comply with the following:
(a) The vehicle’s braking systems must include Regenerative Braking, Automatic Emergency Braking and Electronic Stability Control.
(b) The vehicle must have Lane Departure Warning or Lane Keep Assist.
(c) The vehicle’s batteries for generating motive power must be placed as low in the chassis as possible. Vehicles with batteries mounted above the payload centre of gravity height are not eligible for this exemption.

The BEVs that would be subject to the class exemption would have the same dimensions as their diesel equivalents, extensive safety features and improved stability due to the low placement of batteries. The combined effect of these features, all other things being equal, would be to reduce the likelihood of a crash occurring.

NZTA says the temporary exemption is intended to support the transition to cleaner transport while the Government considers longer-term licensing changes to accommodate the growing demand for electric trucks.
“The purpose of this class exemption is to improve commercial operators’ access to BEVs with improved safety features and provides the sector an opportunity to make gains in the decarbonisation of their fleet whilst the Government considers the growing demand for BEVs in the land transport system.”

The transport agency says it is a temporary solution whilst potential wider changes to the Driver Licensing Rule are progressed. All other driving requirements and obligations remain unchanged.
The notice expires on February 28, 2028, and may be amended, replaced, or revoked under the act.