We know that our climate is changing and that we need to act fast to ensure that we reduce our impact on the planet. Transport is the third largest (and fastest growing) source of emissions in Australia - with cars, buses and vans contributing 11% of total emissions - so making rapid cuts to emissions from the transport sector is crucial to achieving a zero emissions economy. Zero emissions electric vehicles are an essential part of this picture.

We also know that petrol prices and energy instability are rising, so shifting to an electric vehicle also makes economic as well as environmental sense. Without action from the Federal Government Australia has become the dumping ground for the world’s most polluting cars, meaning higher costs for both the environment and Australian hip pockets. On average EVs are shown to save motorists up to $8,500 over the life of the vehicle in fuel and maintenance costs, and each petrol vehicle on Australian roads equates to around $140 per year of healthcare cost to the Australian system.

Australia has become a dumping ground for all of the dirty cars that other countries just won’t accept. Because Australia has no fuel efficiency standards, car manufacturers have no incentive to send their cleaner vehicles here. 80% of the global car market has now introduced fuel efficiency standards, meaning that every low emissions vehicle sent to Australia instead of one of those markets can essentially incur costs for the manufacturer. Continuing to send the dirty ones to Australia becomes an economic no-brainer for manufacturers. Basically, Australia is at the back of the pack and getting left even further behind.

Adopting a fuel efficiency standard in line with those other major markets tells manufacturers that Australia is focussed on transitioning to EVs. This will give the companies the road map they need to get more electric vehicles to the country and to begin rapidly investing in the infrastructure needed to make EVs available and accessible for everyone.

Currently in Australia, demand for EVs outstrips supply, with months-long waiting lists and new EVs selling out within minutes. Last year only 2% of new vehicle sales were electric, while in other countries like the UK its 25% and in Norway a whopping 85%. How can that be? It’s because, simply put, it actually costs manufacturers to send zero emissions vehicles here, because the presence of fuel efficiency standards elsewhere mean that their cleaner cars need to be sent to other markets. The way we start to change this is by introducing a strong fuel efficiency standard in line with other major markets. This will require the manufacturers to send more EVs to Australia, which will increase the range of vehicles on offer (including models that are cheaper) and help drive rapid investment in electric vehicle infrastructure.

80% of the global car market now has fuel efficiency standards in place, and at least 17 jurisdictions around the world have set 100% electric vehicle uptake targets, or have committed to phasing out petrol vehicles, many by the early 2030s.

The UK has banned the sale of all petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, and the EU has said it will do the same in 2035.

On top of this we’ve also seen at least eight different car manufacturers commit to all-electric car production by 2040, with a number of companies moving earlier. For example Volvo will make only electric cars by 2030, and General Motors will phase out petrol production by 2035. See this great ABC article for a full rundown of the major car brands that are going all electric, and by when.

With governments and carmakers alike rapidly moving away from the sale of petrol vehicles, by the early 2030s it will be increasingly difficult to buy a new petrol powered vehicle. And when compared to the benefits of electric vehicles, why would anyone want to?!

Fuel efficiency standards are rules that require vehicle manufacturers to reduce the amount of pollution from the vehicles they sell. The standards put a limit on the total average emissions across all cars sold by each manufacturer, incentivising the development and sale of more efficient vehicles, to balance out the sale of more polluting vehicles. Manufacturers are then liable for fines and penalties if their vehicles don’t meet the required standards. The standards improve over time, eventually reaching a point where only zero emissions vehicles can be sold. 

Currently Australia is one of the only OECD countries without a fuel efficiency standard - a move that is costing Australians money and is ensuring that the emissions being belched into our air from vehicles is dirtier than other nations who have adopted standards. Australia is now becoming a dumping ground for the dirtiest cars. Which is why it’s so urgent that Australia now adopts a strong fuel efficiency standard in line with other major markets.

At Greenpeace you will often see that we refer to a weak or strong fuel efficiency standard but what makes a strong standard? 
Features of a strong standard:

1. Helps us catch-up to major markets - Targets which catch Australia up to major markets like the EU, US and New Zealand are essential to ensuring we get access to the latest models of electric and low emission vehicles
2. Ensure Australia meets its climate targets - Analysis shows that no new combustion vehicles can be sold past 2035 if Australia – and indeed the world – is to achieve net zero by 2050.
3. No Loopholes - The experience from other markets has shown that where flexibilities like ‘super credits’ are included in the scheme, it results in fewer low and zero emissions vehicles on the road, reduced cost savings and reduced emissions reduction.
4. Transparent Reporting and Public Control of Data - It’s time for the government to be responsible for gathering and reporting on vehicle emissions and sales,  not the automotive industry that stands to profit from it.
5. Ensure Equity and Access to Mobility - A well designed FES signals to manufacturers that they must prioritise low and zero emissions that are affordable and accessible to all Australian motorists.

Strong standards would help bring Australia up to speed with the rest of the world and accelerate the switch to affordable transport options, powered by homegrown wind and solar.

Weakened standards would allow big car manufacturers to use dodgy accounting tricks, offsets or loopholes to buy their way out of real climate action – all while seeing Australia continue as a dumping ground for the world’s most polluting cars.

The short answer is the introduction of new fuel efficiency standards. Right now, other countries with cleaner car standards are getting all the EVs, and Australia is being left behind.  As car manufacturers in these countries are required to sell more low and zero emissions vehicles, the range of models - and prices! - available is wider, and consumers can purchase the car that they want and that suits their budget. As EVs become more widely used in Australia by individuals and businesses we’ll also see the crucial second-hand market expand, again giving more people access to the EV that suits their needs.

A fuel efficiency standard is the first step to opening up the Australian market to more EVs and ensuring that the demand for them can be met. We have already seen this scenario play out around the world, but here in Australia we are still being sent the most polluting vehicles that also cost more to run. By enacting fuel efficiency standards here we can get the cleaner cars we need to protect our environment. Coupling government subsidies and tax incentives with the impact of a fuel efficiency standard will help to lower the current cost of EVs in Australia.

In a word, no. A fuel efficiency standard will help to provide greater access to EVs for those that want them now, but will also ensure that soon EVs will be much more affordable for everyone. The point is that all Australians win from there being cleaner cars and more EVs on our roads, as our air gets cleaner with reduced emissions.

The charging network in Australia is sufficient to support the number of EVs on our roads right now. It is in the interest of the charging companies to ensure that their charging networks grow with the increased ownership of EVs. Increased public and private investment has set Australia well on the way to ensuring we have the infrastructure needed to electrify our transport.

What the charging companies want and need is assurances around the speed and scale of the transition from petrol and diesel vehicles to EVs. Once they have this they will be able to ensure that the charging network is always growing at the same pace as EV ownership.

Greenpeace Australia Pacific are prioritising this campaign around vehicle electrification and fuel efficiency standards as this is widely agreed to be a critical step to clean up pollution from cars in Australia. Cars, vans and utes currently make up a total of 11% of emissions in Australia - and these emissions have been rising fast, with no current plan to bring them down. Australia is one of the only major developing countries without emissions standards on cars, and if this doesn't change, these emissions will only continue to increase.

Is a fuel efficiency standard and more electric vehicles enough to cut transport emissions in Australia? No way! We also need to ensure that a switch to EVs is also part of a wider change that sees us get cars off the road, and a lot more people into affordable, accessible alternatives in public and active transport. Major investments are required in bikes and e-bikes, rail, tram and bus, and local walking and bike networks and infrastructure. Giving people accessible options that work for them and our environment, is essential to decarbonise our transport sector.

Every year, over 40% of new cars are purchased for fleets. Most of these cars are used for an average of 3-5 years before entering into the second hand car market, meaning that companies and governments can have an outsized impact on supplying more affordable electric vehicles to more Australians.

In Australia, over 40 major companies have already committed to 100% renewable electricity which opens up a big opportunity for cleaner, quieter renewable-powered transport.

Our Electrify Fleets campaign calls on some of Australia’s biggest companies to clean up their transport pollution by switching to 100% renewable powered electric cars and zero emissions trucking.