Appearance
Vehicle Classes
EmWise vehicle classes map directly to the vehicle categories defined in Schedule 1 of the NGER (Measurement) Determination. Each class determines which emission factors are applied and which NGER Division governs the calculation.
Full reference table
vehicle_class code | Display name | Mode | Fuel | NGER Division |
|---|---|---|---|---|
heavy_vehicle_euro4 | Heavy vehicle — Euro IV or higher | Road | Diesel | 4.3 |
heavy_vehicle_euro3 | Heavy vehicle — Euro III | Road | Diesel | 4.3 |
heavy_vehicle_euro1 | Heavy vehicle — Euro I | Road | Diesel | 4.3 |
light_vehicle_post2004_diesel | Light vehicle — post-2004 (diesel) | Road | Diesel | 4.2 |
light_vehicle_post2004_petrol | Light vehicle — post-2004 (petrol) | Road | Petrol | 4.2 |
light_vehicle_post2004_lpg | Light vehicle — post-2004 (LPG) | Road | LPG | 4.2 |
road_vehicle_unspecified_diesel | Road vehicle — unspecified/pre-2004 (diesel) | Road | Diesel | 4.1 |
road_vehicle_unspecified_petrol | Road vehicle — unspecified/pre-2004 (petrol) | Road | Petrol | 4.1 |
diesel_locomotive | Diesel locomotive | Rail | Diesel (rail) | 4.1 |
electric_locomotive | Electric locomotive | Rail | Electricity | — |
jet_aircraft | Jet aircraft (kerosene) | Aviation | Jet A-1 | 4.1 |
turboprop | Turboprop (gasoline) | Aviation | Avgas | 4.1 |
vessel_fuel_oil | Vessel — fuel oil | Sea | Heavy fuel oil | 4.1 |
vessel_diesel | Vessel — marine diesel | Sea | Marine diesel oil | 4.1 |
Electric locomotives
electric_locomotive is a Scope 2 (grid electricity) emission source. EmWise v1 does not calculate Scope 2 emissions. Submitting jobs with this vehicle class will return an error. Contact your administrator for guidance on reporting electric traction separately.
NGER Division structure explained
The NGER Measurement Determination organises road transport emission factors across three Divisions based on vehicle age and type.
Division 4.1 — Unspecified / pre-2004 road vehicles
Applies to vehicles where the manufacture date is unknown, or the vehicle was manufactured before 2004 (before Euro emission standards were mandated in Australia). Also used for all rail, aviation, and sea transport.
This Division carries the most conservative (highest) CH₄ factors for road vehicles. When in doubt, default to Division 4.1.
EmWise codes: road_vehicle_unspecified_diesel, road_vehicle_unspecified_petrol, diesel_locomotive, jet_aircraft, turboprop, vessel_fuel_oil, vessel_diesel
Division 4.2 — Post-2004 light vehicles
Applies to light vehicles (under 3.5 t GVM) manufactured after 2004. These vehicles are assumed to meet Euro 3 equivalent or better standards, and their CH₄ and N₂O factors are lower than the unspecified Division 4.1 figures.
The fuel type is encoded in the class code because petrol, diesel, and LPG light vehicles each have distinct factor sets.
EmWise codes: light_vehicle_post2004_diesel, light_vehicle_post2004_petrol, light_vehicle_post2004_lpg
Division 4.3 — Heavy vehicles by Euro emission standard
Applies to heavy vehicles (over 3.5 t GVM) where the Euro emission standard is known. The CO₂ factor is identical across Euro standards — only CH₄ differs:
| Euro standard | In service since | CH₄ factor (kg CO₂-e/GJ) |
|---|---|---|
| Euro I | ~1993 | 0.20 |
| Euro III | ~2001 | 0.10 |
| Euro IV or higher | ~2006 | 0.07 |
Most modern Australian B-doubles and semis (manufactured after 2006) qualify as Euro IV or higher.
EmWise codes: heavy_vehicle_euro4, heavy_vehicle_euro3, heavy_vehicle_euro1
How to choose the right class
Step 1 — Determine the transport mode. Is the movement by road, rail, aviation, or sea? This narrows the available classes immediately.
Step 2 — For road transport, determine if the vehicle is heavy or light. Heavy vehicle = over 3.5 t GVM (B-doubles, semis, rigids, prime movers). Light vehicle = under 3.5 t GVM (vans, utes, cars).
Step 3 — For heavy road vehicles, determine the Euro standard. Check vehicle registration papers or manufacturer specifications. Vehicles first registered in Australia after 2010 are effectively Euro IV or higher. If unknown, use road_vehicle_unspecified_diesel.
Step 4 — For light road vehicles, check manufacture year. Post-2004 → use the appropriate light_vehicle_post2004_* class based on fuel type. Pre-2004 or unknown → use road_vehicle_unspecified_diesel or road_vehicle_unspecified_petrol.
What happens if you use the wrong class?
The CO₂ factor is the same across most diesel vehicle classes — the primary difference is in CH₄. Using the wrong class causes a small error proportional to the CH₄ difference:
- Euro IV vs Euro I (diesel): CH₄ difference of 0.13 kg CO₂-e/GJ — for 100 kL of diesel this is approximately 0.05 t CO₂-e error (well under 1%).
- Using the petrol unspecified class (N₂O = 1.6) vs the post-2004 petrol class (N₂O = 0.2) is a larger error: approximately 0.55 t CO₂-e per 100 kL.
For NGER compliance, use the most specific class you can substantiate with documentation.