New national body to drive uptake of electric vehicles in Australia

A new industry-led national body that aims to drive the uptake of electric vehicles (EV) in Australia has been launched in Canberra. A total of 17 organisations, including non-profit organisation ClimateWorks Australia, Tesla, Audi, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, infrastructure firm JET charge and the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria have joined the Electric Vehicle Council.
June 2, 2017 Read time: 2 mins

A new industry-led national body that aims to drive the uptake of electric vehicles (EV) in Australia has been launched in Canberra.

A total of 17 organisations, including non-profit organisation ClimateWorks Australia, 8534 Tesla, 2125 Audi, 1731 BMW, 7998 Jaguar Land Rover, infrastructure firm JET charge and the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria have joined the Electric Vehicle Council.

Minister for Energy and Environment, Josh Frydenberg, who attended the launch, announced a US$288,000 (AU$390,000) grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to support the uptake of electric vehicles in Australia.

The Electric Vehicle Council’s chair, Behyad Jafari, said the market for electric vehicles includes significant opportunities to deliver economic investment, innovation and environmental sustainability.

The Council plans to focus on addressing the barriers preventing the mass uptake of EVs in Australia. In addition to introducing vehicle emission standards, key policy measures include incentivising electric vehicle purchase in the short term as the technology works to meet price parity through upfront incentives and taxation measures, as well as establishing a recommended roadmap for national public charging infrastructure.

Related Content

  • July 20, 2017
    Government targets ‘too conservative’ as 1 in 5 plan to embrace electric cars
    Electric vehicle uptake may increase over the next few years to levels far above UK Government targets. In research undertaken by Baringa Partners, nearly a fifth of people said they would consider buying an electric vehicle for their next car, double the Government goal for electric cars to make up nine per cent of the fleet by 2020. However, concerns over purchase price and range mean nearly a third of people believe electric cars will never overtake petrol and diesel vehicles. Baringa is urging the Gover
    Read More
  • April 30, 2014
    FTA, BMW support UK government funding for green cars
    The UK government has announced plans to invest US$840 million ultra-low emission vehicle industry. It is hoped that this will help drivers both afford and feel confident about using electric cars. Announcing the funding during a visit to the Transport Research Laboratory, Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister said: “Owning an electric car is no longer a dream or an inconvenience. Manufacturers are turning to this new technology to help motorists make their everyday journeys green and clean.”
    Read More
  • December 11, 2020
    Gridserve unveils 'mass charging' EV forecourt
    Company says it can charge 36 EVs at once, adding 200 miles of range in 20 minutes
    Read More
  • April 18, 2019
    Plug’n Drive commence used EV programme in Ontario
    Plug’n Drive has launched a programme which offers CAN$1,000 off the purchase of a used electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (EV) for drivers in Ontario, Canada. Cara Clairman, president and CEO of Plug’n Drive, a non-profit organisation, says: "Used EVs are affordable and available, and this incentive will help more people join the EV revolution." The programme was realised through a collaboration with environmental organisation Clean Air Partnership and local business M.H Brigham Foundation.
    Read More

Highlighted Content