The Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) of Australia submits recommendations to the government's Transport and Infrastructure Net Zero Roadmap and Action Plan, emphasizing the urgent need to decarbonize the transport sector, which accounts for nearly one-fifth of the country's emissions. The EVC advocates for prioritizing electric vehicles (EVs) as the most energy and cost-efficient pathway for decarbonizing the land transport sector, given their current technological maturity and suitability for most applications.
Key Recommendations:
- Prioritize EVs in Decarbonization: Immediate action is required to transition to EVs, recognizing them as the primary pathway for decarbonizing light and heavy road vehicles.
- Robust Guiding Principles and Frameworks: Support the proposed guiding principles and the avoid-shift-improve framework, with an additional principle focusing on complementary decarbonization pathways across sectors.
- Enable Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G): Leverage Australia's leadership in rooftop solar to become a global leader in V2G technology, enhancing energy security and supporting renewable energy transition.
- Urgent Need to Address Freight Decarbonization: Regulatory changes, financial support, and infrastructure development are essential to facilitate the adoption of electric trucks and vans.
- Development of National Policy for Active and Public Transport: A comprehensive policy framework should include dedicated infrastructure, incentives, and pricing strategies to promote active, shared, and public transport.
- Adopt a Comprehensive National Approach: Decisive near-term action by the federal government, with policy coordination across all levels, is needed to deliver a forward-looking national roadmap encouraging widespread EV adoption.
EVC Positions on Specific Pathways:
- Light Road Vehicles: EVs are the primary pathway for decarbonization, with hybrid vehicles playing a transitional role.
- Heavy Road Vehicles: Battery-electric vehicles should be prioritized for short and medium-haul applications, with low carbon liquid fuels (LCLFs) considered for ultra-long-haul and super heavy applications, and hydrogen fuel cells remaining premature for large-scale investment.
- Freight Decarbonization: Immediate action is needed to address barriers to EV adoption in the freight sector, including regulatory changes, cost reductions, and dedicated infrastructure.
- Other Transport Modes: A strategic approach is recommended for rail, maritime, and aviation, focusing on 'avoid,' 'shift,' and 'improve' strategies where feasible.
Additional Actions:
- Electrification of depots and trailers to support fleet decarbonization.
- Hybridization of vehicles where electrification is not yet feasible.
- Consideration of electric roads in the medium-term based on international trials.
Collaboration and Evaluation:
- The EVC supports partnerships with industry, business, and communities to implement the proposed pathways, drawing on international examples such as those in the UK, Sweden, Norway, and the US.
- Measures and metrics should be used to evaluate the roadmap's effectiveness, with transparent modeling of emissions impacts.
Overall Assessment:
The EVC welcomes the development of the roadmap but finds it lacking in ambition. A clear, comprehensive, and ambitious plan is needed to ensure the transport sector contributes proportionately to emission reductions, delivering benefits such as lower transport costs, improved air quality, and greater utilization of Australian-made energy.
