Coalition needs to fast-track its electric vehicles plan
Australia is still at the starting line when it comes to electric vehicles while the rest of the developed world is well in the race.
The Morrison government’s Future Fuels Strategy put a welcome pinky toe on the accelerator last week but if it’s truly serious about the positives that no-emissions vehicles represent for Australians, they would floor it.
Federal government rhetoric to date would have a casual listener thinking they stand to lose something in this transition to EVs, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
The unfortunate reality is that no-emissions vehicles are just out of reach for many Australians, but surveys tell us there is no lack of enthusiasm.
Half of Australians say they would consider buying an EV as their next car, but our EV sales are at 1 per cent. Europe and the UK are at 10 per cent while the global trend is 4 per cent.
Industry has told us over and again what is needed to drive uptake, but most of the suggestions are missing from the Future Fuels Strategy.
We need tax rebates for the purchase of a vehicle, a vehicle emissions standard, and reforming the fringe benefits tax and luxury car tax.
Any sensible plan would include these measures that support affordability and accessibility for all Australian households. Without these measures, Australia will remain an unattractive market for the majority of importers.
Because our fuel and emissions standards are among the worst in the OECD, we are instead attracting the import of vehicles with such outdated internal combustion engine technology that they can no longer be sold in the rest of the developed world.
Some carmakers have said publicly that Australia is becoming a “dumping ground” for this reason.
To encourage uptake and availability of EVs many nations have announced plans to phase out the sale of new petrol cars.
More substantial pledges were made at COP26, where the UK and several other nations pledged to ban petrol car sales by 2035. We need to do the same. And by 2035 at the latest.
Transport makes up 17 per cent of our emissions and this is projected to grow because of a lack of policy action.
ClimateWorks modelling projects that if we want to limit warming to well below 2C, we need a plan that ensures EVs make up more than 50 per cent of all new vehicle sales by 2030. The government says its plan will only get us to 30 per cent.
The good news is that when it comes to our emissions in Australia, transport is the easiest sector in which to make gains. EVs are a known and readily deployable technology that can deliver emissions reductions right now.
It’s a no-brainer.
If the government is serious about technology, as it claims, it would embrace EVs.
Behyad Jafari, CEO of the Electric Vehicle Council, says we have a “monumental opportunity” with electric vehicles, “not only in reducing pollution, but creating an innovative industry in manufacturing, technology and services”. But the government’s plan – with a narrow focus on charging stations – won’t get us there.
The government says its strategy will enhance consumer choice. I doubt most Australians given a choice would opt for combustion, noise in our communities, toxic run-off, air pollution and relying on expensive fuel imports.
The reality is that people want to choose cleaner air, quieter streets, cost savings for customers, emissions reductions, fuel security – even supporting vehicle manufacturing in Australia once more. These are just some of the reasons we need the government to put the pedal to the metal.
Zali Steggall is the federal member for Warringah. She drives a Subaru hybrid offset with Greenfleet for work and recently purchased a Hyundai Kona EV personally.
More Coverage
Read related topics:Climate Change