Page 18 - drive a2b july 2020 web

Electric Vehicles

in Australia

There’s no doubt electric vehicles (EVs) have the uptake of EVs, which only accounted for
made their way to Australia, but now it’s just a 0.7% of total new car sales in Australia in 2019
matter of how quickly they will gain hold here (despite last year being a record year for EV
– considering the shift overseas is happening sales, motivated by the release of US electric-car
Demand quite rapidly thanks to new vehicle emissions specialist Tesla’s Model 3).
for EVs in regulations in the European Union and
Australia California. “The market is held back by a lack of sales
incentives, poor model availability and a
among Currently, Australians have the choice of the mismatch between consumer preferences and
private following EV types: the EV models on offer,” BloombergNEF analyst
individuals Will Edmonds says.
increased • a pure EV, which doesn’t use petrol and What are the blockages for EVs gaining
must be recharged via a cable;
by an hold in Australia?
astonishing • a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV), which
56% in the uses a combination of petrol engine and For one, Australia doesn’t have a policy for the
first half of battery power and may also be plugged in uptake of EVs, with the Coalition government
to recharge;
deriding a proposed 50% target initiated by
2020. Labor in the election campaign last year. Yet, EVs
• or the more conventional, now well-known do get a special mention in the newly released
hybrid vehicle (HEV), which uses petrol Technology Investment Roadmap as a way to
engine and regenerative braking to charge cut emissions and costs.
the battery and doesn’t need to be plugged
in. Unlike the United Kingdom or Norway
governments, the Australian government offers
Research organisation BloombergNEF has no nationwide incentives or deductions for
observed that Australia is moving slowly in those purchasing an EV, PHEV or HEV (although

18 DRIVE A2B magazine · www.drivea2b.com.au · July 2020