Peter Dutton has acknowledged his timeline for building seven nuclear power stations may be too ambitious, conceding it would require bipartisan support, as the Coalition’s plan was criticised for underestimating energy demand and the number of electric vehicles on the road by 2050.

The opposition leader made the concession as the Coalition’s costings for its nuclear power plants were also attacked for extending the life of coal-fired power, increasing short-term grid instability, and lacking detail about any short-term impact on electricity bills.