Australia’s transition to electric vehicles has been much slower than in many other developed nations. But the country is actually well placed to catch up fast.
Soaring electric vehicle production is giving new life to old manufacturing plants that were all but written off in the United States. Australia is also in a position to revive its carmaking industry.
A study of 230 electric vehicles found only 25% of charging happens during peak demand periods. Their patterns of use also mean spare battery capacity could be fed into the grid at these times.
The rest of the nation should follow the ACT’s lead. Incentives to boost the transition to electric vehicles are one of the best ways to tackle Australia’s fastest-growing source of emissions.
Converting to electric cars is going to take time. With transport being Australia’s fastest-growing source of emissions, action on all fronts – road, rail, sea and aviation – is needed.
It’s encouraging to see the Morrison government move past its claim electric vehicles would ‘end the weekend’. But the new plan is not the national electric vehicle strategy Australia deserves, and badly needs.