Electric Vehicles

Senate inquiry to urge EV targets, range of incentives

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Independent Senator Tim Storer has hinted strongly that the Senate EV Inquiry he is chairing will recommend national targets to encourage electric vehicle uptake in Australia, along with a number of other incentives.

The inquiry’s report is due to be delivered by December 4 and is currently being finalised. Storer says he is keen to help kick-start the sector in Australia, which despite great enthusiasm from consumers is yet to take off because of a lack of available models, high costs and limited infrastructure.

Storer signalled the targets and initiatives at a speech at the Australian Electric Vehicle Association’s annual conference in Brisbane on Friday.

He referenced the New Zealand target of 64,000 EVs by 2021, supported by government fleet purchases, tax exemptions and some grants, and the UK Conservative government’s new “road to zero” program that aims of 100 per cent sales of EVs by 2040, and government fleet target of 25 per cent by 2022 and 100 per cent by 2030.

This would be supported by tax incentives, R&D grants and other initiatives.

To read more on this story, please go to our EV-focused sister site, The Driven. 

 

Giles Parkinson is founder and editor-in-chief of Renew Economy, and founder and editor of its EV-focused sister site The Driven. He is the co-host of the weekly Energy Insiders Podcast. Giles has been a journalist for more than 40 years and is a former deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review. You can find him on LinkedIn and on Twitter.

Giles Parkinson

Giles Parkinson is founder and editor-in-chief of Renew Economy, and founder and editor of its EV-focused sister site The Driven. He is the co-host of the weekly Energy Insiders Podcast. Giles has been a journalist for more than 40 years and is a former deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review. You can find him on LinkedIn and on Twitter.

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