| ACEA | European Automobile Manufacturers Association |
| ADR | Australian Design Rule |
| AIP | Australian Institute of Petroleum |
| ASTM | American Society for Testing and Materials |
| ATV | All Terrain Vehicles |
| BACT | Best Available Control Technology |
| BS & BSEN | British Standard |
| CBU | Completely built up (finished vehicle imported from overseas) |
| CKD | Completely knocked down (vehicle kitsets imported from overseas for local assembly) |
| CNG | Compressed natural gas |
| CO | Carbon monoxide (local air pollutant) |
| CO2 | Carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas) |
| CONCAWE | The oil companies' European organisation for environment, health and quality |
| DBL | Diurnal breathing losses |
| DIN | The German Institute for Standardisation |
| EC | European Commission |
| ECA | Environmental Capacity Analysis |
| EEC | European Economic Community |
| EECA | Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority |
| EGR | Exhaust gas recirculation |
| EMA | Engine Manufacturers Association |
| EMS | Engine management system |
| EPI | Environmental Performance Indicators |
| EU | European Union |
| EXOS | Ex-Overseas vehicles (commonly referred to as "imports") |
| FRNZ | First registered in New Zealand |
| G-DI | Gasoline Direct Injection |
| HBFO | Heavy Bunker Fuel Oil |
| HFO | Heavy Fuel Oil |
| IARC | International Agency for Research on Cancer |
| IP | The Institute of Petroleum, London |
| ISO | International Organisation for Standardisation |
| JAMA | Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association |
| LEV | Low Emission Vehicle |
| LCV | Light Commercial Vehicle |
| LFO | Light Fuel Oil |
| LOAEL | Lowest Observable Adverse Effect Level |
| LPG | Liquefied petroleum gas (vehicle fuel) |
| LTSA | Land Transport Safety Authority |
| LSD | Low Sulphur Diesel |
| MED | Ministry for Economic Development |
| MfE | Ministry for the Environment |
| MIA | Motor Industry Association |
| m/m | mass/mass |
| MMT | Methylcyclopentadienyl managanese tricarbonyl (an octane enhancer) |
| MOH | Ministry of Health |
| MON | Motor Octane Number |
| MOT | Ministry of Transport |
| MTBE | Methyl tertiary butyl ether - an octane enhancer and petrol extender |
| NO2 | Nitrogen dioxide |
| NOx | Oxides of nitrogen (general term) |
| NOAEL | No Observed Adverse Effect Level |
| NZOSL | New Zealand Oil Services Limited |
| NZRC | New Zealand Refining Company Limited |
| OCGE | Office of the Chief Gas Engineer |
| O3 | Ozone |
| OECD | Organisation for Ecomonic Co-operation and Development |
| OEM | Original equipment manufacturer |
| PAH | Polyaromatic hydrocarbons |
| PM10 | Particulate matter of less that 10 µm diameter |
| PM2.5 | Particulate matter of less than 2.5 µm diameter |
| ppm | Parts per million |
| PULP | Premium Unleaded Petrol |
| PWC | Personal Water Craft (commonly known as jet-skis) |
| RMA | Resource Management Act 1991 |
| RVP | Reid Vapour Pressure |
| SD | Standard Deviation |
| SHED | Sealed Housing for Evaporative Determination |
| TSP | Total Suspended Particulate |
| ULEV | Ultra Low Emission Vehicle |
| ULP | Unleaded Petrol (refers to regular grade) |
| USEPA | United States Environmental Protection Agency |
| VFECS | Vehicle Fleet Emissions Control Strategy |
| VFEM | Vehicle Fleet Emissions Model |
| VOC | Volatile organic compound |
| VKT | Vehicle kilometres travelled |
| WES | Workplace Exposure Standard |
| VVT | Variable valve timing |
| WHO | World Health Organisation |