More than 30 Federal MPs from across the political spectrum and all over Australia have come together to form the first ever Parliamentary Friends of Electric Vehicles and Future Fuels Transport group.
Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen formally launched the group on the lawns outside Parliament House in Canberra, where a range of new model EVs were on display. Among the vehicles was an electric VW ID Buzz (more affectionately known as a ‘Kombi Van’) which had not been shown publicly in Australia until now.
The Group will be Co-Chaired by Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Member for Higgins, Vic.) and Monique Ryan (Member for Kooyong, Vic.) who are both passionate about super-charging the uptake of EVs and helping more Australians get the opportunity to enjoy the benefits they provide.
“The adoption of electric vehicles in Australia will be a step change in transport that will liberate motorists from the irritations of the nozzle with the added bonus of lower running costs and cleaner air, free from particulates and carcinogens that come from Australian cars burning some of the dirtiest fuel in the world,” Dr Ananda-Rajah said.
“"We need to work together to usher in the cleaner, greener economy, and investing in electric vehicles is a central part of that,” Ms Ryan added. “I’m thrilled to launch this group and bring more than 30 MPs into the fold as we look to move Australia into the fast lane on electric vehicles.”
The Electric Vehicle Council welcomed the launch of the Parliamentary Friendship Group and will work with MPs involved to develop, support and advocate for policies that make EVs more affordable and accessible.
“It's great to see the political momentum building for electric vehicles. Australia has more to gain from transport electrification than any other nation. The millions of vehicles traversing our nation can and should be powered by Australian renewable electricity,” Electric Vehicle Council CEO Behyad Jafari said.
Leading Australian road transport infrastructure provider, Transurban, supported today’s launch as it strives to provide motorists with more sustainable journeys in the country’s three biggest cities.
“At Transurban, we pride ourselves on getting people where they need to go safer, faster, more reliably and more sustainably when compared to alternate routes,” Transurban’s Chief Financial Officer Michelle Jablko said. “If we can help drive the uptake of EVs amongst our customers, we know it will have a significant impact in reducing emissions across the broader road network.”
Origin also supported the launch as part of its ongoing efforts to accelerate the switch to EVs by providing opportunities, and making it easier, for people to get into the driver’s seat of an EV sooner.
“We’re thrilled to support this launch as part of our ambition to lead the energy transition and help accelerate the uptake of EVs in Australia,” Origin General Manager E-Mobility, Chau Le said. “To make it easier for customers to make the switch to an EV, Origin has developed a full suite of solutions to support EV drivers on every step of their EV journey. This includes providing smarter charging and energy solutions, the recently launched EV salary packaging subscription service and securing ARENA funding to support more business customers to transition to EVs.”
The Parliamentary Friends of Electric Vehicles Group plans to hold several events during this term of Parliament to help ensure Australia’s EV momentum powers ahead.
Contact details:
Lilliana Tipton, Office of Dr M Ananda-Rajah MP, +61 490 526 493
Max Koslowski, Office of Ms M Ryan MP, +61 420 593 282
Anil Lambert, Electric Vehicle Council, 0416 426 722