New Zealand's independent vehicle inspection specialists, NZTA-appointed for over 20 years, with deep expertise in import certification, heavy vehicle inspections, and RUC administration.
Vehicle Inspection New Zealand (VINZ) is an independent vehicle inspection company established in the early 1990s as a cooperative by a group of New Zealand motor industry professionals. Today, VINZ inspects more than 175,000 vehicles annually across 13 branches and is one of New Zealand's leading providers of WoF, CoF, vehicle compliance, and import certification services. Since 2013, VINZ has been wholly owned by JEVIC (Japanese Export Vehicle Inspection Centre), which itself has been part of the Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed Optimus Group since March 2015. VINZ has served as an appointed agent for Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency for over 20 years, ensuring vehicles meet New Zealand's road safety standards. The company is particularly strong in import vehicle certification, inspecting over 60,000 imported vehicles annually for importers, dealers, repair workshops, and compliance centres. VINZ also provides Certificate of Fitness (CoF) inspections for passenger service, rental, and heavy goods vehicles, along with heavy vehicle condition reports and pre-CoF inspections, making it a significant player in the heavy vehicle inspection space. As an authorised NZTA agent, VINZ provides Road User Charges (RUC) licence purchases at its testing stations. The company's National Support Office is based in Mount Wellington, Auckland, with branches spanning both islands including Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Palmerston North, Lower Hutt, Nelson, Christchurch, Timaru, Dunedin, and Gore. Under CEO Tony Gibson (former Ports of Auckland chief executive), VINZ is positioning itself for the significant changes underway in the automotive sector, particularly around electric vehicles, vehicle compliance, and freight logistics.
Authorised NZTA agent for over-the-counter purchase of Road User Charges licences for diesel, electric, and other non-petrol vehicles at VINZ testing stations.
Safety inspections for light vehicles at VINZ testing stations across New Zealand.
Regular inspections for passenger service vehicles, rental vehicles, heavy trucks, buses, licensed recovery vehicles, and heavy campervans to ensure they meet NZ road safety standards.
Independent detailed assessment and report on the condition of heavy goods vehicles (over 6,000kg) or passenger service vehicles prior to their formal CoF inspection.
Certification of imported vehicles to ensure they comply with NZ road safety standards. VINZ inspects over 60,000 imported vehicles annually for importers, dealers, workshops, and compliance centres.
Independent condition assessments for heavy vehicles, providing detailed reports on mechanical, structural, and safety aspects.
Independent valuations and condition assessments for insurance, finance, and transaction purposes.
Specialist safety inspections for electric and hybrid vehicles, reflecting the growing EV fleet in New Zealand.
Established as a cooperative by a group of New Zealand motor industry professionals to provide independent vehicle inspection services.
Gimmerton Enterprises Limited registered on 14 November 1995 (Company Number 704013, NZBN 9429038392474). Renamed to IMVD Enterprises Limited on 17 April 1996, then to Vehicle Identification New Zealand Limited on 31 March 2001, and finally to Vehicle Inspection New Zealand Limited on 25 October 2001.
Completed over a decade of service as an NZTA-appointed agent for vehicle inspections and transport services.
Acquired by JEVIC (Japanese Export Vehicle Inspection Centre), becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary and gaining access to international pre-shipment inspection expertise.
JEVIC NZ's parent company acquired by Optimus Group, a Japanese company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, providing broader corporate backing.
Tony Gibson (former Ports of Auckland CEO) appointed as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, starting 22 August 2022. Sean Stevens had resigned as CEO in June 2022.
Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director
Former CEO of Ports of Auckland Ltd (10 years). Over 30 years of experience in shipping and logistics across Africa, Asia, and Europe. Also Chairman of JEVIC Japan and Director of JEVIC NZ.
General Manager - Commercial
Leads VINZ's commercial operations and business development.
General Manager - Operations
Oversees VINZ's inspection and testing operations across all 13 branches.
Manager - Business Support
Manages business support functions including administration and finance.
VINZ is an authorised Waka Kotahi NZTA agent for the over-the-counter sale of RUC licences at its 13 testing stations across New Zealand. While VINZ's RUC branch network is smaller than VTNZ or AA, the company's strength lies in its deep expertise in heavy vehicle inspections and import certification. Heavy vehicles subject to weight-distance RUC are required to have hubodometers or electronic distance recorders (EDRs), and VINZ's CoF and pre-CoF inspection services for heavy goods vehicles naturally intersect with RUC compliance monitoring.
An investigation by Newsroom revealed that VINZ and border inspection firm JEVIC had been quietly acquired by Japanese conglomerate Optimus Group in March 2015, which also owned vehicle importer Nichibo and car lender Auto Finance Direct. This created a serious structural conflict of interest where one subsidiary imported vehicles while another certified them. NZTA issued formal warnings in August 2018 and Transport Minister Phil Twyford signalled a tougher regulatory response.
In February 2019, a customer at VINZ's Hamilton vehicle testing station was struck by a bus driven by a VINZ employee while waiting on site. The customer suffered traumatic brain injuries and later died in hospital. VINZ pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act and was ordered to pay $225,000 in fines plus $278,000 in reparations.
VINZ publicly accused an NZTA board member of having a conflict of interest in his pursuit of new conflict-of-interest policies for the vehicle inspection industry. The board member had formerly been a director of the Motor Trade Association and VTNZ, one of VINZ's main competitors. The dispute highlighted tensions between VINZ and regulators following the Optimus Group ownership scandal.
704013
9429038392474
NZ Limited Company
14 November 1995
Suite 2, 570 Mount Wellington Highway, Mount Wellington, Auckland, 1062, New Zealand
O772020 - Vehicle testing station operation
Anthony Michael Gibson
Auckland, New Zealand
2,500,000 total shares
JEVIC NZ LIMITED
2,500,000 shares · Auckland, New Zealand
Source: NZ Companies Office · Last checked February 2026
View on Companies RegisterAnalysis of notable corporate and institutional shareholders. Individual shareholders are excluded.
JEVIC (Japan Export Vehicle Inspection)
JEVIC NZ LIMITED
A NZ-registered holding entity that acquired 100% of VINZ in February 2013. JEVIC stands for 'Japan Export Vehicle Inspection Centre' - the group's primary business is conducting pre-shipment inspections on used vehicles exported from Japan. Also an MPI-approved operator for biosecurity checks on Japanese export vehicles before shipment to New Zealand.
Optimus Group
Optimus Group Company Limited
Traced via researchA Tokyo-headquartered automotive services conglomerate listed on the TSE Standard Market. Operates 20+ subsidiaries across Japan, NZ, and Australia in vehicle sourcing/trading, logistics, services, and inspection. Provides end-to-end solutions for the used vehicle export market: sourcing at Japanese auctions, inspecting via JEVIC, shipping, then inspecting on arrival via VINZ - creating a seamless quality chain for the Japan-to-NZ used car trade, one of the world's largest used vehicle import corridors.
