Federal energy minister Chris Bowen said new policies would be considered by the government under its plan for a national electric-vehicle strategy.

The new government has not indicated it would mandate vehicle emission standards, which would pave the way for more EVs, but it remains committed to climate-change legislation.

Before the federal election, Labor said its climate change modelling estimated that EVs would make up 89 per cent of new-car sales by 2030. The previous government’s estimate was 29 per cent. 

Addressing the Press Club in Canberra this week in answer to a question on vehicle emission standards, Mr Bowen said: “We will consider all viable ­options to build on the policy ­announcements we’ve already made.”

Industry bodies appear to be strongly behind the new government’s emission endeavours.

Chris Bowen

The chief executive of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), Tony Weber, told GoAutoNews Premium that it was clear the government was looking to work with the industry to progress the introduction of low-emission vehicles. 

“That’s a good thing. For a long time, our view has been that we want to see vehicle CO2 levels mandated,” he said.

“That sends a message to the head offices of OEMs around the world to bring low-emission vehicles into this marketplace. 

“We think the government has taken a step in the right direction and we’d like to work very closely with them to get a sensible and achievable emission target that will lead us to 2030.

“By that time, we will have had reviews of the CO2 target and gained a clearer understanding of where the technology is going, where the world’s going, what the EV capacity is, and things like how the electricity grid can cope with more EVs.”

Mr Weber said that through this process, Australia would be able to see an array of high-technology, low-emission vehicles brought to the market so that the country can reduce CO2 from new vehicles and place itself in a better position on its pathway to zero emissions by 2050.

“I think that the important thing is that we are given targets in terms of CO2,” he said.

“Then we supply an array of technologies to meet that target, whether in the current environment that’s hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles so that they may all play a role as we move through the years. 

“It’s the notion that ‘it’s EV or nothing’ that lacks reality,” Mr Weber said.

Vehicles emission standards have also been backed by Australian Automobile Association (AAA) managing director Michael Bradley who said it would “give car importers flexibility, and therefore minimise associated costs to Australian motorists,” he said.

As part of the EV plan, Mr Bowen was reported in The Australian newspaper as saying Labor would move to legislate cuts to EV taxes when parliament sits at the end of July. 

The report also said that Mr Bowen would introduce the government’s climate change bill in the first parliamentary fortnight, which would enshrine the 43 per cent 2030 emissions-reduction target in law. 

It said that the bill will task the Climate Change Authority to “assess and publish progress against these targets and advise the government on future targets, including the 2035 target”. 

Mr Bowen said that “in a spirit of cooperation” he would consider any amendments proposed by independent crossbenchers and the Greens to the climate change bill that did not undermine the government’s election commitments.

By Neil Dowling