In the upcoming RUC market, Holstegge Technologies will support its Kiwimetre with a fully integrated SaaS platform. Our services will enable providers of all sizes, with pricing scales to support any size.
01 · Platform
The hardware replaces odometer forecasting while maintaining location privacy and customer accessibility, yet it is only a small part of what we do.
If you bring the customer relationship, we will bring everything else; the Kiwimetre RUC Platform handles everything from licence buying, to compliance work, to record keeping, and it integrates directly into your app.
The Kiwimetre RUC Platform
Mission-critical compliance
02 · Critical infrastructure
The stakes
In the upcoming system, RUC will become the primary funding mechanism for the National Land Transport Fund, making it critical national infrastructure, on par with traffic management or fuel supply networks.
A failure of this infrastructure could place the entire road transport system at risk.
The approach
In such an industry, reducing the complexity of design by building on well-understood technologies becomes critical. Dan McKinley describes ‘Boring Technology’ as that which minimises unexpected failure points, and at Holstegge Technologies we believe this is vital in the design of critical infrastructure. We aren’t reinventing the wheel.
The job
The RUC system is an incredibly simple financial instrument on paper. A charge of approximately 7.6c applies, based on weight, per kilometre that is driven. Distance travelled is logged and tax is collected.
simple Job, simple Technology,Mission-critical design.
03 · The Amendment Bill
The Land Transport (Revenue) Amendment Bill and its regulations are still being drafted. Some key details for providers remain unclear.
Under the current Bill, APS are exempt from holding a licence or pre-paying for RUC. Given much of the bill relies on ‘current licences’, large portions of the law will not apply to APS users (s10 overrun offences, s26 Crown debts, s28 late penalties). One might expect the regulations to address this.
The proposed regulations do not intend to (Consultation document, May 2026).
APS regulations will be “outcome-focused… rather than describing the mechanics of a scheme”, effectively enabling private companies to design their own tax system.
Within the confines of building a reasonably tamper-proof device, the scope of provider enforcement duties has not been clearly established for the new system.
The proposed regulations suggest requirements for electronic distance recorders in light passenger vehicles will become more flexible. How that flexibility will be possible is not yet clear.
04 · THE ODOMETER OPTION
Regular odometer photos
None
A solution requiring customer participation, achieving absolute privacy at the cost of convenience.
GPS device
Fixed or portable
A seamless and automated solution at the cost of customer privacy.
Kiwimetre
Portable
Effortless elegance.
OBD-II device
Fixed
Moderate privacy implications with CAN access; however, a seamless solution for cars implementing PID 0xA6.
Connected vehicle infrastructure
Built-in
A perfect solution for newer vehicles, subject to manufacturer participation.
05 · Our view of the market
Holstegge Technologies views the upcoming system as one where winning private companies will be those most capable of positioning themselves in front of the customer at the time of adoption.
We believe successful providers will charge moderate fees to account for the cost of customer acquisition, and those with existing relationships will be best placed to reduce these costs.
New Zealand companies with existing customer relationships can focus on their core offerings, while adopting the Kiwimetre RUC Platform seamlessly into their mobile app.
Partners can expect much stronger customer retention by offering RUC as a value-added service, with administration fees becoming a modest addition to existing revenue.
ACCESSIBLE B2B PARTNERSHIPS
Your existing or future customer relationships are the only prerequisite to the Kiwimetre RUC Platform.
We would appreciate you taking the time to read it.