Greenpeace Australia Pacific welcomes today's agreement between Senator Pocock, the Greens and the government to prioritise electric vehicles over petrol-powered polluting hybrids in the Treasury Laws Amendment (Electric Car Discount) Bill 2022, but urges the Albanese Government to keep its foot on the accelerator.
"The agreement today is a step in the right direction to bring down the cost of electric vehicles, but we must do more to fast track the shift to cleaner transport," said Lindsay Soutar, senior campaigner at Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
"Now the Federal Government must keep their foot on the accelerator and deliver strong fuel efficiency standards.
"While the world is racing ahead in the adoption of electric vehicles, in Australia this year only 3.39 percent of new vehicle sales were fully electric.
International research has shown that plug-in hybrid vehicles deliver only a 25% reduction in carbon emissions when compared to internal combustion engines, while battery electric delivers a 70% reduction. This makes plug-in hybrids much closer to polluting conventional petrol cars than to electric vehicles.
"In Europe plug-in hybrids have been called 'fake electrics' for failing to deliver promised emissions reduction and cost-saving benefits.
"Australians deserve better, cleaner transport. We can have cleaner, quieter cities with affordable all-electric cars and today's agreement is a step toward this destination.
"Strong fuel efficiency standards will keep us in the fast lane toward cheaper and more accessible electric vehicles for Australians, whilst tackling dirty climate pollution and cost of living pressures.
