New European legislation could force Australian drivers to adopt electric vehicles (EVs) in the next decade, whether they like it or not.
February 14, european union The (EU) has approved legislation requiring automakers to reduce CO2 emissions from new cars and vans sold by 100% by 2035.
With 340 votes in favor, 279 against and 21 abstentions, the new law effectively bans the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles in a block of 27 countries.
In addition, automakers must meet interim emission reduction targets of 55% for passenger cars and 50% for vans by 2030.
However, the new law does not apply to car brands that produce less than 1,000 vehicles a year.
in the meantime law We will not ban people from continuing to use petrol and diesel vehicles after 2035, but it could lead to a significant increase in the total cost of ownership of these vehicles, including fuel, maintenance, purchase and insurance costs. There is a nature.
The move follows similar restrictions in countries such as China, Japan, Canada and Hong Kong, where the EU seeks to make the transport sector, which accounts for one-fifth of the bloc’s total emissions, “carbon neutral”.
MEP Jan Witema said the law encouraged automakers to innovate and lower prices, thus promoting the production of zero and low-emission vehicles.
“Purchasing and driving zero-emission vehicles will be cheaper for consumers and the used market will emerge sooner.” He said.
The law has been approved, but requires formal approval by the European Council to come into force.
Impact of new European legislation on the Australian car market
The introduction of emissions legislation in the EU may sound irrelevant to Australia, but given the geographical distance between the two regions, automotive experts believe that the country’s car market will have a significant impact. I warn you to take it.
European law will make petrol cars increasingly rarer and more expensive to buy, said Jake Whitehead, policy director for the Electric Vehicle Council, the highest body representing the Australian EV industry. , said the price of the average car could rise by $17,000. (US$11,700).
He added that many Australian car buyers could be shocked to learn that petrol and diesel cars are likely to disappear from the domestic market in just 10 years.
In a comment obtained by AAP, he said, “We know that even the US, which has a very similar car market to ours, is targeting 50% EV sales by 2030.
Chris Jones, president of the Australian Electric Vehicle Association, said while some drivers may not be aware of the importance of the issue, many car makers will not have internal combustion engines within the next decade before the ban takes effect. It said it is likely to phase out cars that have been discontinued.
That leaves local motorists with little choice but to acquire new EVs, he said.
“Many jurisdictions around the world have found it to be a rather conservative position to end sales of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035.
Whitehead also said the Australian government would introduce fuel efficiency standards to ensure the country continues to have access to the latest automotive technology while also preventing vehicles not needed elsewhere from entering the local market. He said he would face increasing pressure.
“The risk here is that if Australia doesn’t choose to align with other similar economies like the US and Europe, it will align itself with the developing world to get the same car they’re getting. and that could mean lower safety standards,” he said.
Australia to reach 100,000 EV milestone in 2023
Automotive experts say the number of EVs sold in Australia has risen sharply and will soon reach the 100,000 milestone.
Recent reports (pdf) showed that there will be more than 83,000 EVs in circulation by the end of 2022, adding 39,353 EVs last year alone.
Additionally, EVs accounted for 3.8% of all vehicles sold in the country in 2022, up from 2.05% in 2021.
Tesla continued to dominate the domestic EV market, with Model 3 and Model Y accounting for almost half of total sales, followed by Atto 3 models from Chinese manufacturer BYD and HS+ PHEV models from Chinese-owned MG Motor.
The Australian Capital Territory leads the country in terms of EV adoption, with 9.7% of new car sales being electric, followed by New South Wales and Victoria at 4% and Tasmania at 3.7%.
In terms of EV infrastructure, the number of charging stations nationwide will grow by 44.8% to reach 4,943 in 2022.
Despite this increase in EV purchases, Australian Bureau of Statistics notes that there will be 20.1 million vehicles registered in Australia in 2021, 98.2% of which will utilize petrol or diesel fuel sources.