Should politicians better support electric cars?
A majority of Australians are ready to get behind the wheel of an electric car and want their governments to back the switch, according to a poll of over 3000 car buyers.
The poll was created by the Electric Vehicle Council and conducted via leading car sale and review website carsales.com.au during July.
Key findings from survey respondents include:
- 54 per cent would consider purchasing an electric vehicle as their next car
- 49 per cent see themselves driving an electric vehicle in 2030
- 40 per cent would be encouraged to purchase an electric vehicle if government subsidies were available to assist with the initial purchase cost
- 50 per cent would pay more for an equivalent electric vehicle compared to petrol/diesel
- 92 per cent agreed public charging infrastructure was important in encouraging them to buy an electric vehicle
- 55 per cent indicated they would power their electric vehicle via solar panels
The main factors encouraging purchase of an electric car are running and maintenance costs, safety features, driving performance, and environmental footprint. The leading factors discouraging purchase are purchase costs compared to petrol and current accessibility of charging infrastructure.
“Australians are now well and truly ready to go electric,” said Electric Vehicle Council chief executive Behyad Jafari.
"This survey shows we understand the personal benefits and we’re also ready to start contributing to the societal advantages of the electric transition – like lower carbon emissions, increased fuel security, and cleaner air.
"What this survey also demonstrates is Australians are well out ahead of their government when it comes to electric vehicle attitudes.
"Half the population now see themselves behind the wheel of an electric car by 2030. But they’re frustrated by Australian policies that mean many of the best affordable EV models don't make it to our shores.
"The politics on EVs has shifted massively in a short period of time, and politicians should ensure they don't get stuck in the past. Australians now recognise the abundant advantages of driving an electric car. Their remaining hesitancy is about the support they are getting to make the switch.
"If the Australian Government starts introducing policies to encourage EV take up, similar to those in the UK, those policies will be met with overwhelming support from drivers and the broader electorate.”
Do you think politicians should better support electric cars?
Not gonna happen so long as dullard knuckle draggers like Michaelia Cash and her like minded colleagues PM Morrison and Angus Taylor are in charge ... it's only two years since she accused Labor of wanting to take away people’s petrol-guzzling cars and force them to buy electric vehicles instead. “We are going to stand by our tradies and we are going to save their utes,” Ms Cash told reporters. “We understand choice and that is what Bill Shorten is taking away from our tradies.”
"Prime minister Scott Morrison has even suggested that Labor’s policy will bring an end to the “Australian weekend” – apparently because EVs can’t tow boats or caravans (some of them can), and you can’t take them camping" (they can and better than standard vehicles - watch a Tesla tow a 737)
https://thedriven.io/2019/04/08/coalition-hits-bottom-of-barrel-with-fake-news-campaign-against-electric-cars/
The only hope on the conservative side of politics is NSW energy and environment minister Matt Kean who says NSW - in fact, all of Australia - will need to phase out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035 if it is to meet the net-zero by 2050. He is driving electrification of the NSW Government fleet and roll out of charging stations.
On the plus side transition to electric vehicles will improve our national liquid fuels security as we would be less dependent on imported oil. Additionally, EV batteries can be part of the electricity grid and improve both reliability and consumption timeshifting. You only need to look at UK to see disruption to supply chains caused by fuel shortages (though for a different reason). This risk would be a bigger issue if voters realised that defence and security strategists advise Australia should have minimum 90 days supply of liquid fuels in country, yet bizarrely this Government thinks 29 days is adequate, and much of it is either on sea or "virtually" stored in the USA.