Why Chris Bowen says EVs are about to explode
The pressure on car companies to make electric vehicles a much more common sight on Australian roads has intensified on the back of an $8bn announcement.
The number of electric cars in Australia is “about to explode” following investment in electric vehicle charging and punitive fines for thirsty cars, according to Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday outlining the Albanese Government’s emissions targets, Mr Bowen said the government’s New Vehicle Emissions Standard is driving changes to the roads.
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The standard, which fines car makers that sell cars deemed too thirsty by the government, has driven up the price of V8 models such as the Ford Mustang and encouraged EV holdouts such as Volkswagen to stock showrooms with battery-powered vehicles.
Mr Bowen said there is more to come.
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“We don’t have an EV sales target – we never have as a country,” he said.
“We want Australians to have more choices, and our new vehicle efficiency standard is driving that.
“We haven’t even really seen that have any impact yet, but the number of EVs that will be available to Australians over the next 12 months is about to explode.”
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The minister said there will be “much more choice for Australians as importers respond to the new vehicle efficiency standards”.
New EV brands such as Zeekr, Deepal and XPeng have introduced fresh electric options in Australia, and there are more to come.
Ford’s best-selling Ranger is now available with hybrid power and Toyota is set put hybrid power in its biggest LandCruiser to encourage customers to switch to greener vehicles.
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The government announced $40 million in kerbside electric vehicle charging on Thursday to help soothe the “range anxiety” that has discouraged people from choosing an electric car.
“The other thing that has held people back is a lack of charging,” Mr Bowen said.
“We’re not the only ones investing in charging – the private sector is, state governments are, electricity companies are.
“We want Australians, when they’re thinking about their next car, to not be worried about where their charger is, to have that sorted, and then they can make their own choices, their own decisions, about which car is good for them.”
That $40m investment was part of $8bn in spending from the Albanese Government aimed at driving down emissions, amid a new 2035 target.
According to the latest car sales figures for August published by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and the Electric Vehicle Council, the 3 per cent year-on-year increase in sales to over 100,000 is due in large part to growth in EV demand.
That is primarily on the back of super strong local demand for the updated Tesla Model Y, sales of which were up a whopping 75 per cent when compared to August 2024.
That made the Model Y the fifth most popular car sold in Australia in August.
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