Mazda, Nissan, Hyundai and Subaru face fines after first six months of Australia’s new emissions standards

Robotic arms weld car body frames at the Toyota factory in Japan. Toyota was among the companies that beat their initial target for average emissions. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

Major auto brands including Mazda, Nissan and Subaru face the possibility of millions of dollars in penalties after failing to meet climate targets for new vehicles in Australia.

The first six months of data since the Albanese government introduced a new vehicle efficiency standard shows 40 companies – 68% of the total – beat their initial target for the average emissions efficiency of the new cars they sold.