Key highlights:
- Ram warns tougher emissions rules could increase showroom prices
- Some Ram 1500 models could enter NVES from 2027
- Ram 2500 and 3500 remain outside the proposed GVM range
New-vehicle prices could rise further as Australia’s tougher emissions rules put more pressure on manufacturers, and Ram Trucks Australia general manager Jeff Barber says the company has not ruled out price increases as the government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) becomes stricter.
Ram warns prices could rise
Speaking at the Australian launch of the Ram 2500 Warlock, the first Hemi V8-powered Ram pickup available locally in almost two years, Jeff Barber discussed how the NVES is affecting Ram’s model range.
He suggested the regulations could push showroom prices higher, as appears to have happened in other vehicle segments. However, he also stressed that buyers still have choices.
Ram has not confirmed:
- Which models could receive price increases
- How much prices could rise
- When any increases might happen
Australia entered the second year of the NVES, which sets fleet-average carbon dioxide (CO2) targets for each vehicle supplier, and the targets become tougher every year through to 2029 under the current scheme.
Manufacturers whose final emissions value remains above zero face an infringement penalty of $50 per outstanding NVES unit, and if the infringement remains unpaid, the maximum civil penalty rises to $100 per unit.
The NVES does not currently apply to vehicles with a gross vehicle mass (GVM) above 3.5 tonnes, and that keeps several Ram models outside the scheme, including the new Ram 2500 Warlock, which has a 4495kg GVM.
But that exemption could change for some vehicles from 2027.
A 2027 rule could bring some Rams into the system
From 30 June 2027, Australian Design Rule ADR 114/00 will require certain light-duty vehicles with a GVM above 3500kg but no more than 3855kg to have their emissions measured. The government also sought submissions on whether these vehicles should enter the NVES from 1 July 2027.
Submissions closed on 20 July 2026, but the government has not yet announced a final determination.
That proposed change matters for the current Ram 1500 range, as they are in the 3500–3855kg GVM range:
- Express Black Edition
- Rebel
- Laramie Sport
- Laramie Night
- Limited
The larger Ram 2500 and 3500 sit above that range, so the proposed 2027 change would not affect them. That could help explain why Ram has brought the Hemi V8 back in the 2500, rather than the 1500 where V8s previously featured.
Also read: Ram’s Hemi V8 returns to Australia but 6-cylinder core stays
Other utes could also face changes
The proposed expansion would not affect every large pickup.
| Model | GVM | Potential impact |
|---|---|---|
| Ford F-150 | Below 3500kg | Unaffected at this stage |
| Chevrolet Silverado | Below 3500kg | Unaffected at this stage |
| Toyota Tundra | 3536kg | Could be affected |
| Ram 1500 | 3500-3855kg on listed grades | Could be affected |
| Ram 2500/3500 | Above 3855kg | Outside proposed range |
| Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series | – | Would lose current exemption |
| Ford Transit | – | Would lose current exemption |
The Toyota Tundra, with its 3536kg GVM, would also fall within the proposed range if the NVES expands to light-duty vehicles above 3500kg, and the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series and Ford Transit would also lose their current exemptions.
Other brands have already raised prices
Several manufacturers have increased showroom prices while citing the NVES as at least one contributing factor.
Ford increased pricing by $250 for every non-PHEV Ranger grade in mid-2025, but Ford did not directly link that increase to the NVES. However, the company increased the price of the Mustang by $5000 at the same time and cited the NVES as one contributing factor.
Hyundai Australia also cited emissions regulations when it raised prices for its performance-focused N models in September 2025.
| Model | Price increase |
|---|---|
| Hyundai i20 N | $1000-$2000 |
| Hyundai i30 N hatch | $1000-$2000 |
| Hyundai i30 N sedan | $1000-$2000 |
Ram has already adjusted some prices
Ram increased the price of its updated 1500 Limited lineup in mid-2025 by $3000, taking the sticker price to $159,950 before on-road costs.
The new 2500 Warlock sits $2000 below that, with a price of $157,950 before on-road costs.
Ram says the 2500 has not received a price increase since July 2023. At that time, the 2500 Laramie rose by $9000 to $172,950 plus on-road costs, and it has remained at that price for more than three years.
The Ram 3500 has followed a similar path, and its price has remained unchanged since mid-2023, despite receiving a significant update in late 2025.
The 3500 Laramie still costs $177,950 before on-road costs.
| Model | Current price (before ORCs) | Last increase |
|---|---|---|
| Ram 1500 Limited | $159,950 | +$3000 in mid-2025 |
| Ram 2500 Warlock | $157,950 | No increase since July 2023 |
| Ram 2500 Laramie | $172,950 | +$9000 in July 2023 |
| Ram 3500 Laramie | $177,950 | No increase since mid-2023 |
Government says emissions policies are working
The NVES has attracted criticism from automotive executives.
Former Mitsubishi Motors Australia boss Shaun Westcott, for example, described the emissions penalties as “naive”.
Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen has defended the government’s transport policies, saying they are starting to work. Earlier this year, Bowen pointed to the first decline in transport emissions since COVID.
Overall greenhouse-gas emissions fell 1.9%, or 8.5 million tonnes, in the year to September 2025. Bowen described that result as encouraging.
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