"Now is the time for the policy support to drive the uptake of electric vehicles," said TransGrid executive general manager Greg Garvin, pointing to the winding down of car manufacturing in Australia as one of the factors. "They are a smart way to embrace new technology to meet our emissions reductions target and to meet our air quality, fuel security and, importantly, to support new and innovative businesses to grow the Australian economy." Electric vehicle sales in Australia remain tiny on a world scale, with just 948 in 2014, only 0.32 per cent of the global market, which is dominated by the US, Europe, and, to a lesser extent, China and Japan. Tesla's compact Model 3, launched with much fanfare last week, is expected to cost between $60,000 and $70,000 on the road in Australia, while its Model S starts at $128,000. The scope to make a difference is significant, with the transport sector responsible for 17 per cent of Australia's carbon emissions, which have increased by 47.5 per cent since 1990. Without a faster shift towards electric vehicles, emissions from transport are set to increase another 6 per cent by 2020, to reach 97 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. The report found that electric vehicles could reduce carbon dioxide from road transport by up to 47 per cent by 2050, while helping fuel security and driving innovation. ​AGL chief executive Andy Vesey said EVs would help toward the target of limiting climate change to less than 2 degrees C warming. "In support, AGL has committed to have at least 10 percent of our fleet vehicles electric by mid-2018 – a figure that can grow as more options become available in the Australian market," Mr Vesey said. While the initial emphasis of the coalition of interested parties is on policy, the members intend to follow up their report with practical measures, such as demonstration projects and moves to increase use of electric vehicles within fleets, as well as consulting infrastructure providers and manufacturers. The joint report comes in response to the federal government's vehicle emissions discussion paper, released in February. Angela Macdonald-Smith writes on the resources industry with a focus on energy, including gas, oil, electricity and renewables.
Tesla has teamed up with Australian power supplier, AGL Energy (among others), to promote green energy, electric cars (EVs), and push for a range of policy measures such as tax incentives and emissions regulations. If the partnership is successful, the cost of EVs, which is still relatively high in Australia, could fall by more than AUD$8k ($47.5 per cent). Calls to increase EV infrastructure in Australia are also growing louder, as sales of these vehicles have been weak in the country; only 948 units were sold in 2014.