Giles Parkinson, founder and editor of The Driven, and Renew Economy tells us why Australians are having a difficult time finding and purchasing electric vehicles. He has been a journalist for some 40 years, is a former business and deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review. He also owns a Tesla Model 3.
Tag: Australia
Quite simply, whilst the carrots and sticks of policy are so strongly wielded in support of EVs by governments in Europe, the US and the like – manufacturers have much more incentive to send their BEVs to markets closer to home.
What is needed here is proper federal EV direction before that the same can happen here. Manufacturers can’t plan for the ‘Australian’ market when there are differing support mechanisms favouring different vehicle segments in different states (eg local government fleet or individual sales or commercial use) or differing price thresholds for the subsidies on offer with the same EV qualifying in one state, but not another. The Australian market is small enough already, let alone turning it into seven individual markets for BEVs!
That federal direction by the way is not nebulous ‘EV charging support’ with no explanation of what it is, or when it is to materialise. That is just a jumble of words as equally ‘meaningful’ as the spin Australia used to get by at COP 26.
Australian petrol giant Ampol is set to install electric vehicle fast-charging bays in its existing petrol stations, as part of a A$100 million commitment towards future energy projects.
In what is believed to be an Australian first for a petrol retailer, Ampol will start delivering fast-charging bays at more than 100 of its retail sites located around the country.
The greater Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth regions, as well as regional centres like Newcastle, Wollongong, NSW’s Central Coats, Queensland’s Gold and Sunshine Coast and Geelong in Victoria.
Michael Mazengarb, The Driven »
“Transport is a significant contributor to Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, and we’re now at a real inflection point where we can realistically look at the benefits from a fast and complete transition to EVs in this country,” principal author of the report, and Partner at Deloitte Access Economics, Dr Eamon McGinn, said.
“The potential benefits for our economy of the market-led EV solution, in terms of less greenhouse gas emissions, less air and water pollution, and less vehicle noise are truly staggering – almost $500 billion over the next 30 years.”
Deloitte Access Economics assessed the expected cost impacts of road transport through its contribution to air pollution, noise pollution, water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
The report estimated that, based on current policy settings, Australians are expected to face social costs of $865 billion caused by road transport through to 2050.
Justin Rowlatt & Tom Gerken, BBC »
The leak reveals Saudi Arabia, Japan and Australia are among countries asking the UN to play down the need to move rapidly away from fossil fuels.
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This “lobbying” raises questions for the COP26 climate summit in November.
The leak reveals countries pushing back on UN recommendations for action and comes just days before they will be asked at the summit to make significant commitments to slow down climate change and keep global warming to 1.5 degrees.
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One senior Australian government official rejects the conclusion that closing coal-fired power plants is necessary, even though ending the use of coal is one of the stated objectives the COP26 conference.
Some of the world’s biggest coal, oil, beef and animal feed-producing nations are attempting to strip a landmark UN climate report of findings that threaten those domestic economic interests, a major leak of documents seen by Unearthed has revealed.
The revelations – which show how this small clutch of nations is attempting to water-down the International Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) major upcoming assessment of the world’s options for limiting global warming – come just days before the start of crucial international climate negotiations in Glasgow.
They come from a leak of tens of thousands of comments by governments, corporations, academics and others on the draft report of the IPCC’s ‘Working Group III’ – an international team of experts that is assessing humanity’s remaining options for curbing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or removing them from the atmosphere.
China, Saudi Arabia, India and Australia were among those who submitted comments urging scientists to downplay or “omit” phrases about the need to transition away from fossil fuels. Officials from the Australian government reportedly questioned the need for all of its coal-fired power plants to close as part of efforts to tackle the climate crisis.
The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) represents 13 major oil-producing nations. It asked the authors to remove the statement: “If warming is to be restricted to 2°C, about 30% of oil, 50% of gas, and 80% of coal reserves will remain unburnable”.
Also » Nikkei