More than 100 companies operating in Australia have come together to call for a strong national EV strategy that brings in robust fuel efficiency standards in line with Europe, New Zealand and the U.S..
Fuel efficiency standards are rules put in place on automakers to reduce the emissions used by the vehicle. They’re a cap placed on a fleet of cars, incentivising the development of more efficient vehicles, and strictly regulating the emissions output of cars.
We’re one of the only countries in the OECD that doesn’t have them, and without them, car companies have no reason to prioritise Australia as a market for electric cars, instead sending petrol vehicles here in greater numbers.
So, more than 100 companies and organisations operating in Australia agree and are calling for an EV strategy that:
- Includes strong fuel efficiency standards, in line with those overseas
- Boosts investment in EV manufacturing, through a collaborative EV industry development plan
- Facilitates the roll-out of a coordinated charging network, focusing on the regions and outer suburbs of Australia
- Supports more electric buses, trucks and commercial vehicles for Australian businesses
- Creates economic modelling that factors in the lower pollution, public health and fuel security benefits of EVs
- Sets a goal of having one million EVs on Australian roads by 2027
This comes as consultation on the National Electric Vehicle Strategy comes to a close. From today, interested parties will no longer be able to have their say on the uptake of electric vehicles in the country, with submissions now due for consideration by the federal government.
Companies that are a part of this collective call for a strong EV strategy include BMW Group (BMW and Mini), the Heavy Vehicle Industry Association, IKEA, Microsoft, the NRMA, Origin, and Woolworths.
“A strong, national EV strategy with targeted policy for the freight and logistics sector will enable the retail sector to accelerate its contribution to transport emissions reductions – enabling sustainable delivery options for Australians,” said Brendan Groll, the fulfilment sourcing manager at IKEA Australia.
We’ve gathered 100+ companies united in a push to get one million electric cars on Australian roads by 2027.
Pick up @Australian & @smh papers 🗞 today to see our
📰 Double Page Spread 📰
National Electric Vehicle Strategy consultation closes today!https://t.co/ptP7oJGMvG pic.twitter.com/4QrHOds1is
— Electric Vehicle Council of Australia (@EVCouncil) October 30, 2022
“After years of inaction from Canberra, Australian EV policy is now ready to accelerate and business wants to ensure we don’t miss the moment,” added Behyad Jafari, the chief executive of the Electric Vehicle Council.
“If we get this EV Strategy right, the opportunities are enormous. We could be employing tens of thousands of Australians building batteries, chargers, cars, buses, and trucks. We’ll be cutting pollution from transport and doing our fair share to combat climate change. And we’ll be reducing our reliance on foreign oil by using Australian energy to move.”
You can read more about the announcement on the Electric Vehicle Council website, or about the National Electric Vehicle Strategy on the consultation hub page.