Peak auto body ‘welcomes’ Federal Government strategy, but says more work is required
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) has criticised the Australian Government’s Future Fuels and Vehicles Strategy for ‘missing an opportunity to apply a vehicle emissions standard’.
In a release this morning, FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber said the Federal funding – $250 million, which includes $178 million to support EV and Fuel Cell EV infrastructure – was welcome, saying:
“This move from the Federal Government will assist in providing the infrastructure Australia urgently needs to support more electric vehicles on our roads.”
However, Weber said the strategy was a missed opportunity to set a clear emissions reduction target.
“Governments should focus on setting targets, not trying to pick winners through specific technology.
“Emissions targets are a clear sign of a government’s intent to reduce emissions and sends a positive signal to automotive manufacturers to provide more electric-powered vehicles to those markets. This is exactly what is needed in Australia,” Weber said.
The FCAI introduced a voluntary emissions standard for its 40-plus OEM membership base in 2020, and it’s no surprise this announcement renewed calls for the Federal Government to adopt this standard, even though many aren’t currently achieving the target rates.
“We strongly urge the Government to adopt the FCAI’s existing voluntary emissions standard which sets a clear pathway towards lower CO2 emissions across the entire passenger and light commercial fleet through to 2030.”
Weber also criticised the Australian Government’s 2030 EV target, which is 30 per cent of new vehicle sales by 2030.
“The availability of EVs in Australia is increasing as car manufacturers respond to growing demand, however the reality is that they still account for less than one percent of total vehicle sales year to date.”
“This means that the Government’s target for EVs to be 30 per cent of new vehicle sales by 2030 is extremely optimistic,” Weber said.
