Mayors and councillors across Australia are urging the Federal Government to increase the availability of affordable electric vehicles (EVs) in the country.
A joint statement issued today and signed by 120 council members asks the Australian Government to enact fuel efficiency regulations that:
- Are required and provide at least equal parameters to those found in other key markets.
- Give Australian drivers greater options and lower prices than they currently have.
- Support 100% of new vehicles sold in Australia to become zero emissions as soon as possible.
- Are reviewed and updated approximately every five years.
“The City of Greater Bendigo has a goal to transition more than 100 light fleet to electric vehicles by 2030, however we are held back by the limited options available in Australia at the right price point,” City of Greater Bendigo Mayor Andrea Metcalf said.
Mayor Metcalf stated that the fuel efficiency standards are critical for unlocking Australia’s source of clean fuels and would be a game changer in the shift to clean transportation.
“Vehicle manufacturers send their cleanest vehicles to countries that demand low and zero emissions vehicles through effective fuel efficiency standards. For too long Australia has been left with less efficient and more polluting vehicles, which limits the choices Australians have when purchasing a new car,” ACT Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Shane Rattenbury MLA said.
According to Minister Rattenbury, setting strong fuel efficiency for vehicles is critical to reaching emissions reduction targets and making EVs more affordable to Australians.
Fuel efficiency standards apply to 80% of the worldwide car market. They pave the way for low and zero emission automobiles to become more affordable. The Climate Council stated that Australia had become a ‘dumping ground’ for polluting automobiles, with few affordable solutions today.
The statement was assembled by the Cities Power Partnership, a program offered by the Climate Council to assist local governments on their path to net zero emissions.
“World-class fuel efficiency standards would bring more low and zero emissions vehicles to Australian shores. Local government officials are doing what they can to accelerate the shift to EVs, but their hands are tied by prohibitive costs, which is why we’re taking their calls for more affordable options to the federal level,” Climate Council Head of Advocacy Dr Jennifer Rayner said.
According to Dr Rayner, fleets account for 41% of new automobile purchases every year. Dr Rayner noted that councils might play a vital role in bringing inexpensive EVs to their communities, with the average government fleet vehicle entering the used market after three to five years.
“Among the Cities Power Partnership’s 180 members, three-quarters have at least one EV in their fleets, but many are keen to go entirely electric. Cheaper EVs will be the key to this. For communities to reap the benefits of cleaner, cheaper-to-run vehicles, it is essential the Federal Government implements fuel efficiency standards to supercharge our EV supply,” Dr Rayner added.
Transport is a substantial source of emissions at all levels of government, ranking third in the country only to electricity and stationary energy.
The Climate Council stated that if fuel efficiency standards had been implemented in 2016, Australia might have saved $5.9 billion in fuel expenses and avoided importing 4,000 megalitres of petroleum. This would have also saved 9 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to domestic aviation emissions in a typical year.
