Australia developing EV culture
Behyad Jafari, left, and South Australian Government low carbon economy unit transport emissions principal policy officer Alan Richards at the APEC workshop.
Australia is looking to make up lost ground on the EV evolution.
The EV market there was “stagnant” until recently, but attitudes, infrastructure and uptake are growing, especially in some states like Queensland and South Australia.
Australians are generally well educated, have high-income jobs and are early adopters of technology with 16.5% having solar power (more than two million households have a rooftop solar system).
But EVs in Australia tend to be low volume and high price, with more needed to encourage uptake, Australia’s Electric Vehicle Council chief executive officer Behyad Jafari told about 200 guests at the APEC electric vehicle and hydrogen technology workshop in Wellington, New Zealand, on November 21.
EV prices tend to be high because Australia gets new EVs, rather than bringing in second-hand imports like New Zealand.
Jafari says about eight new EV car models are expected there soon, and that there’s a growing niche in the bus and truck area.
However, issues such as a standard plug for charging need sorting, and perhaps tax cuts or breaks could be introduced to provide more incentive, Jafari suggests.
He says EVs like the Tesla are affected by Australia’s luxury car tax – “It’s more an innovation tax for us”, shipping duties, fringe benefit tax and the like, and that a mandatory standard for vehicle emissions is not in place.
There’s general government support for a transition to electric transport, and Jafari says a survey shows about 75% of people would buy an EV, while 55% support incentives to encourage uptake.
He says clean energy grants or low-cost financing for EVs would help.
Australia has to consider more “decarbonising” to match efforts from other countries, and electric vehicles are a way to do it, Jafari says.
He says Victoria has a parliamentary enquiry underway over how to support electrification, while New South Wales and Western Australia are deliberating.
Australia has the skills and expertise to be involved in the EV industry, along with battery materials, Jafari says.
“We’re a very attractive location for EVs.”
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