Residents of the Hume region in north eastern Victoria can save a combined $89 million on fuel over the next five years if the Federal Government strengthens Fuel Efficiency Standards, a new report from Solar Citizens has revealed.
The Solar Citizens team will join Farmers for Climate Action and the Euroa Environment Group, as well as EV expert Bryce Gaton to launch the report at Sheila's Gallery in Euroa on Thursday 13 April at 6:00pm.
The "Recharging Hume" report, based on data from Australian Bureau of Statistics, found:
● A Fuel Efficiency Standard that aligns with our major trading partners would save Hume motorists $89 million over the next five years in reduced fuel costs
● Regional Australia as a whole would save nearly $4 billion
● The reduced pollution would be particularly helpful in the Hume area, because the region's rate of lung conditions is 1.9% compared to the national average of 1.7%
● The number of electric vehicles in Hume would likely boom from 61 in 2020 to 7174 in five years, if the Federal Government brought in Fuel Efficiency Standards matching other countries.
Solar Citizens Regional Clean Transport Organiser Ben Lever said Hume residents could not afford to lose $89 million in savings offered by embracing clean transport. "Regional communities like those along the Hume are hit hardest by rising fuel costs, because we drive more large vehicles, drive further, and pay more at the petrol pump," Mr Lever said.
"Fixing Fuel Efficiency Standards would mean more fuel-efficient cars would be sent to Australia by car companies, including a much better range of electric vehicles. Australia has the weakest fuel efficiency standards in the world, so car makers send us their most polluting cars. Hume, and the nation, deserves better."
The report confirmed that ownership of Light Commercial Vehicles like utes and vans in the Hume region is more than double that of Melbourne, and that regional residents pay an extra 6 cents a litre for petrol.
Farmers for Climate Action Community Organiser, Emily Jones, said farmers are looking for cleaner alternatives on-farm. "Right across the country one of the most common questions we get from farmers is about when electric farm vehicles, from utes to tractors will be coming to Australia," Ms Jones said.
"Farmers are excited about the opportunities that low emission technologies will bring – be it cost savings or the opportunity to lower their emissions. We need strong policies from the government to drive the uptake of low emission vehicles and stronger Fuel Efficiency Standards are a good start."
The launch event will be a roundtable discussion about the benefits of electric vehicles to farmers and other regional Australians, and an opportunity for locals to ask questions.
The event will feature one of Australia's first commercially available electric utes, and finish with a delicious BBQ dinner.
The event in Euroa is part of Solar Citizens' regional Electric Ute Roadshow, which is taking one of Australia's first commercially available electric utes around regional Australia to talk to locals about the benefits of electrifying our transport, and the challenges that will need to be overcome to spread those benefits to all Australians. The Roadshow will also be heading to Yackandandah on 14 April.
