Transition strategies to decarbonise the movement of people Electrify the light vehicle fleet The market has already signalled that the future of light vehicles is unquestionably electric – positive news for decarbonisation given that light vehicles represent 10 per cent of Australia’s total emissions.35 To have the intended result, however, the electricity powering these vehicles must be generated from renewable zero-carbon sources, the pathway for which is outlined in Chapter 1 on energy. EV uptake will result in a range of positive benefits for individual users and the community. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, EV uptake will reduce noxious tailpipe emissions from internal combustion engines. This will improve air quality, particularly in dense urban areas, and bring significant health benefits. The move to EVs will also
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Decarbonising Infrastructure
reduce Australia’s reliance on imported fuels, improving fuel security and reducing exposure to oil price volatility. Yet Australia’s transition is slower than other countries. In 2021, EVs made up two per cent of new vehicle sales,36 being a major jump in its market share from previous years. But the global average for EV sales is much higher, at 4.6 per cent in 2020, and 10 per cent in the EU.37 With only 20,095 EVs registered out of a total Australian passenger vehicle fleet of 14.9 million at the beginning of 202138 (and 2022 figures anticipated shortly), dramatic growth in EV sales is required to bring down light transport emissions.
