Farmers for Climate Action has welcomed the greater choice of vehicles farmers will soon have, after vehicle pollution standards, applying to new vehicles only, passed the Australian Parliament.
Farmers for Climate Action, which represents more than 8200 farmers across Australia, had long called for pollution standards applying to new vehicles and was pleased Australia finally abandoned the approach of having no vehicle pollution standard on new vehicles – an approach which was only shared by Russia.
CEO Natalie Collard said Australian farmers would likely start to see more choice in the new vehicle market from mid-2025.
"Farmers for Climate Action has always argued for Australian farmers to have choices and decide for themselves on what new vehicle is best for them and their farm," Ms Collard said.
"Australian farmers haven't had the same choice as other farmers around the world because we didn't have a new vehicle pollution standard like almost every other country in the world.
"Given almost every other country in the world has vehicle pollution standards for new vehicles and Australia did not, car makers were sending their most polluting and least fuel efficient cars to Australia. Now, Australian farmers will finally get the choice of new vehicles which farmers in the US, the UK and New Zealand were already getting.
"Vehicles have become a significant driver of carbon pollution in Australia, and Farmers for Climate Action also stands by the principle that companies making the vehicles should be held accountable for the pollution they create, which affects our farming families and our food supply. Our farmers are dealing with increased droughts and repeat flooding driven by climate change. These droughts and floods are sending insurance costs through the roof, with some farmers now choosing to abandon insurance."
Vehicles which could become available to the Australian public include the Ford F150 Lightning, which tows up to five tonnes, goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds and has a range of 514 km; the Tesla Cybertruck, which has a towing capacity of 4.99 tonnes, goes from 0 to 100km/hr in 2.9 seconds and has a range of 547 km, and the Rivian R1T, which has a towing capacity of five tonnes, goes from 0 to 100 km/hr in 3.5 seconds and has a range of up to 600 km on a single charge.
