An alliance of more than 100 companies is pushing the Australian federal government to get one million electric vehicles on the road over the next five years.
Electric vehicle policy measures
The group, including from insurance and retail, to agriculture and banking, wants a variety of strong policy measures to encourage commercial and private use of EVs.
These policy measures include:
- fuel efficiency levels that are equal to the ones already utilized by New Zealand, Europe, and the US
- EV manufacturing investment
- support for EV’s commercial use
- more fast charging stations in the regions and suburbs
- develop economic modeling to present EV benefits like less pollution.
The 2027 target would require an average of almost 250,000 new EVs to be laid out each year for the next four years, a share of nearly 25 percent of new car sales and a rise from current levels.
Before this year’s federal election, Labor vowed 3.8 million EVs on Australian roads by 2030. It is requesting submissions to its National Electric Vehicle Strategy to roll out which policies it will take to Parliament.
Small businesses state they’d think of buying EVs if the government removes the benefit tax on models priced less than $84,916.
With diesel prices expected to continue rising, the commercial sector where companies that do city deliveries like Ikea and Woolworths will be one of the primary winners from policy measures that support more EV use like more fast chargers outside the inner city.
“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 Ikea fulfillment sourcing manager Brendan Groll.
“Ikea wants its transport fleet to be all-electric in Australia by 2025. After years of governments ignoring the EV sector, the country now needs strong policies to not only put a dent in transport emissions but also ensure the country can take part in the global opportunity provided by EVs,” states Behyad Jafari, the Electric Vehicle Council chief executive.
“If we get this EV Strategy right, the opportunities are enormous,” said Jafari.
“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.”
“Australian business understands that transport should be doing its share of heavy lifting on the path to net zero. If we don’t put a big dent in our transport emissions, by getting more EVs on the roads, it will put unsustainable pressure on other sectors like farming, manufacturing, construction, mining, and energy.”
Jafari stated that the fuel efficiency standard’s absence is hugely to blame as manufacturers disregard Australia in favor of others with more eager plans.
Australia and Russia are the only countries in the OECD without fuel efficiency standards.
This affected Australia to be a dumping country for dirty internal combustion vehicles that can’t be sold in other places.
In addition, it slowed down EV demand. However, this is rapidly changing. The Electric Vehicle Council says their recent data shows a 65 percent jump in EV sales in the previous year, admittedly from a low base.
Companies & organizations calling for one million EVs
According to The Driven, the list of companies and organizations calling for one million EVs are:
- ABB
- ActewAGL
- Australian Electric Vehicle Association
- AGL Energy
- Amber
- ANC
- Arrival
- AUSEV
- Ausgrid
- Australian Hydrogen Council
- Australian Trucking Association
- Bank Australia
- Beyond Zero Emissions
- BMW Group (BMW and MINI)
- Bortana
- Boundless
- Brighte
- BYD
- Carbar
- Clean Energy Council
- Climate Action Network Australia
- Climate Energy Finance
- Committee for Sydney
- ConnectSource
- Custom Denning
- Custom Fleet
- Delta Energy
- Doctors for the Environment
- Ebusco
- Electric Vehicle Council
- Electrical Trades Union
- Energy Efficiency Council
- Energy Renaissance
- Energylab
- Environment Victoria
- Europcar
- EVenergi
- Everty
- Evie Networks
- Evolution
- EVSE
- EVUP
- Farmers for Climate Action
- FIMER
- Fonz
- Foton Mobility
- GEMtek
- Geotab
- GET Electric
- Girl Geek Academy
- Good Car Co
- Greenpeace
- Hanson
- Heavy Vehicle Industry Association
- Hertz
- IKEA Australia
- Jaguar LandRover
- Jaunt
- JETCharge
- JLL
- JOLT Charge
- Karmo
- LDV
- Linfox
- MG Motors
- Microsoft
- Middy’s Electrical
- Motion Energy
- Motorsport Safety & Rescue
- Myenergi
- National Electrical and Communications Association
- Nexport
- Noodoe
- NRMA
- NSW Nature Conservation Council
- Origin
- Pepper Money
- Polestar
- Pollination Capital
- Renault
- Rewiring Australia
- ROEV
- SA Power Networks
- Savic Motorcycles
- Schneider Electric
- SEA Electric
- SG Fleet
- Sixt
- Smart Energy Council
- Solar Citizens
- Splend
- St Baker Energy Innovation Fund
- Tesla
- The Australia Institute
- Transurban
- Tritium
- Uber
- Volvo Cars, Volvo Bus, and Truck
- Wallbox
- Woolworths Group
- WSP
