The Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) is urging the Australian government to implement mandatory fuel efficiency standards, following the success of the policy in New Zealand. In recent months, the electric vehicle market share of new car sales in New Zealand has increased from four per cent to 20 per cent. Additionally, 62 per cent of New Zealanders believe that fuel efficiency standards are beneficial for the country.
If implemented in Australia, these standards would require car manufacturers to ensure that the emissions from their new vehicles do not exceed specific limits. They would be fined for exceeding these targets. Experts believe that this would help to reduce transport emissions, provide customers with more choice, and could lead to lower petrol costs.
The EVC believes that the lack of mandatory fuel efficiency standards and national purchase incentives are the main barriers to transport electrification. The Australian government passed the landmark Climate Change Bills in the Senate last year, as part of its goal to achieve a 43 per cent reduction in emissions and net zero emissions by 2050.
The EVC’s CEO, Behyad Jafari, stated that fuel efficiency standards are long overdue and delaying their implementation would hinder Australia’s ability to reach its emissions targets. Jafari emphasised that Australia is one of the few developed nations that have yet to introduce fuel efficiency standards, and failure to do so would shift the burden onto farmers and manufacturers.
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