VIDEO: 17 Ways to improve electric vehicle uptake in Australia
Stockhead TV
Stockhead TV
The government has dropped the ball on electric vehicles but Australia can still catch up, says the country’s first report into the sector.
The Senate Select Committee on Electric Vehicles has made 17 recommendations that could light a rocket under Australia’s lagging EV uptake – but first the federal and state governments must pull their collective fingers out.
Widespread use of EVs in Australia would deliver significant economic, environmental and health benefits to Australian consumers and society, according to the report.
It would also create new opportunities for Australian industry.
But those who responded to the committee’s call for submissions related worries about higher upfront costs, driving range, lack of charging infrastructure, and limited model availability.
These are the key factors hindering consumer uptake in Australia, the committee heard, and without appropriate regulatory settings Australia’s near-term EV uptake “is likely to be modest”.
The first recommendation is basic: prioritise the development of a national EV strategy and an inter-governmental taskforce to lead its implementation.