Sorry - my bad - I meant to put this in the car forum.

Do changes need to be made to make it meet NZ's regulations? I honestly don't know, but if true, that could explain some of the difference.

I listened to a Planet Money episode recently that explained how car manufacturers have to build different versions of the same car to meet the regulations in each market. For example, generally people wear their seatbelt in Europe more than in the USA. So this affects the number of airbags required etc. 

RHD conversion plus GST plus import costs plus licencing plus limited market for a 6.7 L ute would explain the cost

Meh economies of scale.

Take a BMW M3. $160,000 here. $67,000USD in the US. They will be fairly close to being the same car with the exception of the steering wheel I'd imagine. Unless there's different emission allowances.

Here's another example

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11798998

 

British pizza lovers are paying up to four times more for a Domino's than in New Zealand - where a Margherita costs just NZ$5.99 (£2.87).

 

This compares to $26.00 in the UK

Different products are different prices in different markets - it's not a special New Zealand thing.

mudguard:

 

Meh economies of scale.

 

Take a BMW M3. $160,000 here. $67,000USD in the US. They will be fairly close to being the same car with the exception of the steering wheel I'd imagine. Unless there's different emission allowances.

 

Opinion: NZ should change to LHD. We pay a high price for being one of the handful of countries that aren't LHD. It would be a pain for a year or two.....but once done......it's done. 

Linuxluver:

 

mudguard:

 

Meh economies of scale.

 

Take a BMW M3. $160,000 here. $67,000USD in the US. They will be fairly close to being the same car with the exception of the steering wheel I'd imagine. Unless there's different emission allowances.

 

More accurate to compare with the UK or Australian prices. LHD has a different economy of scale. 

 

Opinion: NZ should change to LHD. We pay a high price for being one of the handful of countries that aren't LHD. It would be a pain for a year or two.....but once done......it's done. 

 

 

 

A pain alright. In me arm in me leg, and so on due to accidents. Get Japan to do the same, and anyone else. 

Linuxluver:

 

mudguard:

 

Meh economies of scale.

 

Take a BMW M3. $160,000 here. $67,000USD in the US. They will be fairly close to being the same car with the exception of the steering wheel I'd imagine. Unless there's different emission allowances.

 

More accurate to compare with the UK or Australian prices. LHD has a different economy of scale. 

 

Opinion: NZ should change to LHD. We pay a high price for being one of the handful of countries that aren't LHD. It would be a pain for a year or two.....but once done......it's done. 

 

 

 

Actually almost all former British colonies drive on the left. As do Japan where we historically get most of our cars from. So I think it is likely we would pay a lot more for cars if we drove on the right. Also we would end up with far more US and european cars, which aren't generally as reliable as Japanese cars, and also not as cheap historically, and comre expensive and difficult to get parts for. So I think it is a good thing we drive on the left. Also Australia would have to move the  RHD first, as many brands are OZ/NZ, and we do get some economies of scale due to this. I think if NZ decided to go RHD, we would be paying a  lot more, and billions would need spending on infrastructure etc. eg On and of  ramps on motorways would all need redoing, as it isn't as simple as just switching the road direction. 

It's also quite feasible to drive a LHD car on our roads now. I know of a couple people who have LHD classic cars and use them here without difficulty.

I understand that the LTSA can be a bit bureaucratic about registering them, but it only has to be done once.

At that sort of price differential, if it's what you really want, it might be worth looking at privately importing and registering the LHD version?

tdgeek:

 

Linuxluver:

 

mudguard:

 

Meh economies of scale.

 

Take a BMW M3. $160,000 here. $67,000USD in the US. They will be fairly close to being the same car with the exception of the steering wheel I'd imagine. Unless there's different emission allowances.

 

More accurate to compare with the UK or Australian prices. LHD has a different economy of scale. 

 

Opinion: NZ should change to LHD. We pay a high price for being one of the handful of countries that aren't LHD. It would be a pain for a year or two.....but once done......it's done. 

 

 

 

 

A pain alright. In me arm in me leg, and so on due to accidents. Get Japan to do the same, and anyone else. 

 

The same accident red herring was thrown up when the right had rule was changed a couple of years ago. Cars on their roofs at every intersection with their wheels spinning in the air  etc.   Never happened and it went ahead quite smoothly.  I think switching from left side  to right side driving would go the same way.  Sweden did it OK back in May 1967  with no problems.

PS  a Dodge RAM is not a "ute"  but a pickup trunk. 

I have a friend who regularly goes to America, buys 1970s muscle cars for next to nothing, and ships them back here to sell at a huge profit. He has never had any trouble getting them registered and certified. They do require some specific things, like reorienting the headlights to point to the left. I think (don't know) that he is able to sell them for so much more simply because they are rare here and have status value for some people. Obviously the shipping and certification costs something, but he brings back several at a time in a filled container and it doesn't add that much per vehicle. I suspect at least some of our inflated prices of many things (not just cars) are because people are used to paying more so they get charged more. Not all of it is due to higher costs.  

Old cars are easy to register a LHD, No need to be a whatever they call special interest vehicles - https://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/factsheets/12/

Basically 20 years old and you are all good to bring them in, same as bringing in old cars that do not meet all the current import requirements for crash and emissions etc.

tdgeek:

 

Linuxluver:

 

Opinion: NZ should change to LHD. We pay a high price for being one of the handful of countries that aren't LHD. It would be a pain for a year or two.....but once done......it's done.  

 

 

A pain alright. In me arm in me leg, and so on due to accidents. Get Japan to do the same, and anyone else. 

 

Sweden did it. No big deal. 

We don't seem to do so well at complex undertakings. We would probably make a complete hash of it, for 10 times the cost.