Auto Unites on Call for EV Plan

WITH KAES CILLESSEN

The MTA SA/NT continues to push for a nationally consistent approach to manage the transition to zero and low emission vehicles.

In July, the Motor Trades Association of Australia chaired an historic, together with peak industries representing automotive manufacturers, retail dealerships and the repair sector, together with state and territory MTAs.

At this summit, participants reached agreement on more than 25 principles including:

• Embracing the electrification of the Australian motor vehicle fleet.

• Mandating CO2 targets, not Electric Vehicles (EV) targets.

• Supporting the Federal Government in developing a National Zero and Low Emission Vehicle (ZLEV) Electrification Transition Strategy.

• Considering the entire registered vehicle fleet and the needs and requirements of Australians who own and operate them.

• Maintaining the safety, security, service, repair, and efficiency of the legacy Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) fleet.

• Opposing the introduction of bans that limit consumer choice and remove options for meeting car owners’ needs and Australia’s emission reduction targets.

• Ensuring Government targets and milestones are ideally Federally led (or at least nationally consistent), are realistic, supported by facts and sound qualitative data, and applied to an Australian context.

The Australian Capital Territory’s announcement that it would become the first state or territory to set a date (2035) to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles has caused industry concern that policy makers do not understand the unintended consequences of their decisions.

This “go it alone” approach is not isolated. The newly-elected South Australian government has scrapped its predecessor’s plans to tax electric vehicles through per kilometre road user charging. However, Victoria continues to push ahead with the policy, which is now subject to a High Court challenge.

“This is an issue that affects all of Australia and we can’t afford to take a piecemeal approach, state by state,” said Kaes Cillessen, Policy and Communications Manager.

“It’s been likened to the railway gauges in Australian history, when different states adopted different gauge tracks. We need a national effort and national consistency.”

“Everybody knows EVs are in short supply so if we want to be attractive to global manufacturers to increase the supply to Australia, the government needs to look at carbon targets, not EV sales targets,” said Kaes.

Pleasingly, the MTAA’s national summit appears to have captured the attention of the Federal Government, with Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen releasing a discussion paper on a National Electric Vehicle Strategy for consultation.

The automotive organisations welcomed the Fringe Benefits Tax exemption for Electric Vehicles and the MTA SA also encourages the government to also review luxury car tax as a method to encourage retail and fleet adoption of electric vehicles.

“I really can’t understate the significance of the automotive organisations uniting – and then being heard by government,” said Kaes.

“Some interest groups can be quite narrow in their perspective, offering ideology over fact in pursuit of their objectives.

“Affordability, availability and Australia’s electricity grid are challenges which must be met and peak automotive associations that met at the summit have put forward realistic policies on what a national strategy ought to look like.”

Representatives from the automotive industry, including the MTA, convened in Canberra.