Steering Towards A Future of Greener Vehicles

Transport makes up 19 per cent of Australia’s emissions.

However, as the nation pushes towards an emissions reduction target of 43 per cent and net zero emissions by 2050, there are opportunities to bridge this gap.

Electric vehicles (EVs) have increased by 65 per cent from 2021. Today, EVs represent 3.39 per cent of all vehicle sales in Australia.

The ACT leads when it comes to electric vehicle sales (9.5%), while the Northern Territory lags (0.8%).

The Electric Vehicle Council’s Head of Policy Dr Jake Whitehead said there is strong momentum, but Australia needs a blueprint to compete on the world stage.

“We know from all the research that Australians are keen to get behind the wheel of an EV, but they just aren’t getting the access that other markets get.”

“Because our governments have lagged the world on EV policy, Australia is still something of an afterthought for global EV manufacturers. So Australian consumers have a smaller range of EVs to choose from and they are also being forced to wait for many months or even years to take delivery of new vehicles,” Dr Whitehead said.

The Electric Vehicle Council is pushing Australian lawmakers to introduce fuel efficiency standards, which are in line with the European Union and United States.

How Do They Reduce Costs?

Electric vehicles convert 77 per cent of electrical energy from the grid to power at the wheels.

In stark contrast, conventional vehicles convert around 12 per cent. Typically, when these vehicles are used in the city, they remain in idle and operate at exceptionally low outputs.

EVs tend to recover this wasted energy while braking for traffic lights. They also rely on electric charge, which reduces costs at the petrol bowser, and means they are less reliant on international pressures.

There are several factors that prospective EV owners cannot ignore, including cost, environmental, health and performance benefits.

There has been a 22 per cent increase in fast and ultra-fast charging locations since last year, with around 350 chargers now available across Australia.

Woolworths, Linfox and AGL are also among Australia’s largest companies shifting towards EVs to power their operations.

“It’s great to see so much momentum behind EV sales in Australia, but to put our 3.4 per cent in context – Germany sits at 26 per cent, the UK at 19 per cent, and California at 13 per cent. The global average is 8.6 per cent so Australia has a long, long way to come,” Dr Whitehead said.

How Do I Get Involved?

If an electric vehicle seems too far out of reach, then there are still a range of opportunities to enter the green-energy space.

For example, you could recommend your company adopts EVs for staff transport.

There are also government incentives to get more EVs on the road.

“The good news is the new Federal Government understands the opportunities of EVs and is working on a genuine EV strategy. Although that strategy will need to include a range of measures, high on the list must be fuel efficiency standards,” Dr Whitehead said.

Compare & Connect can help steer you in the right direction when it comes to electric vehicles and other greener energy alternatives.

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