Australia announced on April 19 that it will introduce new vehicle emission standards to promote the adoption of electric vehicles, with the aim of catching up to other developed economies in terms of electric vehicle penetration.
Only 3.8% of vehicles sold in Australia last year were electric, far behind other developed economies such as the UK and Europe, where electric vehicles account for 15% and 17% of total sales, respectively.
Australia’s Energy Minister, Chris Bowen, announced at a press conference that the country’s new national electric vehicle strategy will introduce a fuel efficiency standard, which will assess how much pollution a vehicle will produce while in operation, or specifically, how much CO2 it will emit. “Fuel-efficient and electric vehicles are cleaner and have lower operating costs, and today’s policy is a win-win for vehicle owners,” Bowen said in a statement. He added that the details will be finalized over the coming months. “The fuel efficiency standard will require manufacturers to export more affordable electric vehicles to Australia.”
Australia is the only developed country, apart from Russia, that does not have or is not in the process of developing fuel efficiency standards, which encourage manufacturers to sell more electric and zero-emission vehicles. Bowen noted that on average, Australia’s new cars consume 40% more fuel than those in the EU and 20% more than those in the US. Research shows that introducing fuel efficiency standards could save vehicle owners AUD 519 (USD 349) per year.
The Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) of Australia welcomed the move, but said that Australia must introduce standards that are in line with the modern world. “If we don’t take action, Australia will continue to be a dumping ground for outdated, high-emissions vehicles,” said Behyad Jafari, CEO of the EVC.
Last year, the Australian government announced plans for new regulations on vehicle carbon emissions to boost electric vehicle sales. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who won the election last year by pledging to reform climate policies, cut taxes on electric vehicles and lowered Australia’s carbon emissions reduction target for 2030 from 2005 levels by 43%.
Post time: Apr-20-2023
