FEATURE
DOWN
THE
EMISSIONS
TOOLS ISSUE
In more positive news, 2019
should see new lower-cost cars,
such as the Hyundai Ionic and
new-model Nissan Leaf hit the
market for less than $50,000,
which will open up the market
slightly.
DRIVING RANGE MISTRUST
greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to
28% of 2005 levels by 2030 under
the Paris Agreement, yet electric
vehicles make up just 0.2% of
Australian cars — a measly
one-tenth of the global average. So
what gives? We’ve all had that sense of panic
when our phone battery is at 1%
and we’re hours from home. This
fear is impacting electric cars, with
a recent survey by RACV revealing
that 40% of respondents would not
consider buying an electric vehicle
because of the fear of running out
of charge mid-commute.
There’s also a relative lack of
infrastructure for charging electric
vehicles in Australia. As of June
2017, we had approximately 476
dedicated public charging stations,
compared to the US, which boasted
more than 20,000 in December
2018.
Education may be part of the
solution to this particular barrier
– most electric vehicles can be
charged at home and possess more
than enough capacity to handle an
average commute. While keeping
batteries charged is key for battery
health and longevity, electric
vehicle batteries are also far more
robust than those in our
smartphones and laptops – for
example, the Tesla Roadster
retained about 80–85% of its
battery capacity after 100,000
miles (160,934km), and the Model
S fared even better, with 94%
retention after 50,000 miles
(80,467km).
MONEY MATTERS A POLICY VACUUM
HOT TOPIC
UNPLUGGED:
THE GLOBAL ELECTRIC
VEHICLE REVOLUTION
WHEN IT COMES TO ELECTRIC VEHICLE TAKE UP, AUSTRALIA’S
LAGGING BEHIND OTHER COUNTRIES. BUT WITH RANGE
INCREASING, IS IT TIME YOU RECONSIDERED GOING GREEN?
he number of electric car
sales worldwide reached
a record high in 2018,
with more than 2m battery electric
cars and plug-in hybrids sold last
year. Yet, with a paltry 7,300
electric vehicles currently
humming along on Australian
roads, we’re lagging far behind the
rest of the world in adopting
low-emissions vehicles.
There are a number of
factors behind this lag, such
as the higher upfront cost of
electric vehicles, concerns
about driving range and lack
T
of recharging infrastructure. But the
most critical is our stark lack of
overarching government policy to
promote growth in the industry.
WHAT IS THE CURRENT
LANDSCAPE OF LOW-
EMISSION UPTAKE IN
AUSTRALIA?
There are currently 17m
registered cars on
Australian roads, which the
Climate Council says represent
the second-biggest source of
greenhouse gas pollution in the
country. The government has
committed to reducing our overall
26 GEMCELL.COM.AU JUN – JUL 2019
With 13 out of 16 electric vehicles
on sale in Australia coming with a
hefty $60,000-plus price tag, it’s
understandable that many
consumers baulk at the upfront
cost. This cost barrier is further
compounded by a lack of federal
subsidies in this country, which
have been a key driver for growth
in other countries.
A Senate committee report
released in January, confirmed
electric vehicle uptake in Australia
lags due to “a relative absence of
overarching policy direction from
Australian governments.”
This lag has led motoring
industry bodies including the
NRMA, to call for a ban on the sale
of new internal combustion