Australia’s ambitious 2035 climate target, which polling indicates now enjoys renewed popular support, will be missed by a huge margin if the nation slows down on its EV uptake, the Electric Vehicle Council has warned today.
The latest Resolve Political Monitor shows 44 per cent of Australian voters now support reducing the nation's carbon emissions by 65-75 per cent by 2035 (versus 18 per cent opposed).
Electric Vehicle Council CEO Julie Delvecchio said the polling results underscore the critical importance of strengthening policies that drive electric vehicle adoption instead of sending mixed signals to consumers.
“All roads to Australia's 2035 climate target lead through dramatically increasing the use of EVs. Prematurely removing incentives like the Electric Car Discount or introducing a road user charge before EV uptake is established will be kicking in the wrong direction to the 2035 climate target,” Ms Delvecchio said.
“Transport accounts for a fifth of our national emissions and is also one of our fastest-growing sources of pollution. Any genuine plan to meet the 2035 climate target has to include speeding up transport electrification.
“Every single petrol car or diesel truck that gets sold today instead of an electric car or truck will still be on our roads in 2035, pumping emissions into the air. If we don’t slow this process we will not get anywhere near the 2035 goal that most Australians want.
“We strongly encourage political leaders who are serious about our nation’s future prosperity to act on electrifying Australia’s vehicle fleet as quickly as possible.”
The Electric Vehicle Council highlighted that current government policies – including the Vehicle Efficiency Standard, the Electric Car Discount and investment in charging infrastructure – have driven record EV sales, with electric vehicles now representing over 10 per cent of new car sales nationally.
"These policies are delivering a multitude of benefits. Families are saving thousands on fuel costs, we're reducing our dependence on imported oil, and we're building the foundation for a cleaner, more resilient energy system through vehicle-to-grid technology,” Ms Delvecchio said.
"As the Climate Change Authority prepares its recommendations we need a basic recognition that electric vehicles aren't a nice-to-have – they're vital to meeting the targets that Australians support.”
Contact details:
Sofie Wainwright: 0403 920 301