FCAI calls on Federal Government to tighten rules on cleaner car rebate

By Paul Maric | October 15th, 2010

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) is calling on the Federal Government to tighten the requirements and increase the rebate on the Cleaner Car Rebate.

The Cleaner Car Rebate – or cash-for-clunkers scheme as it’s more affectionately known – would see individuals rewarded with $2000 if they trade in their pre-1995 vehicle for a new, greener vehicle.

Set as an election promise by now Prime Minister Julia Gillard during her acting role as caretaker Prime Minister, the scheme was promised to come into play by January 1st, 2011 if the Prime Minister was re-elected.

Since the Prime Minister’s re-election, the FCAI has called for the proposed $2000 rebate to be upped to $5000 to make it more meaningful for buyers, in addition to tightening the list of acceptable new vehicles that can be purchased in contention of the scheme.

According to the pre-election rules, buyers would be apply to apply the Government funding to any new car purchased that has a six-star or higher rating on the Government’s Green Vehicle Guide.

The list includes several hundred vehicles and CEO of the FCAI, Mr Andrew McKellar, suggests that the list should be pruned to only include ultra-efficient vehicles such as hybrids and a select few efficient diesel vehicles if the Government is to meet the carbon dioxide reductions by 2024.

This would rule many buyers out of the scheme, making it a fairly redundant venture.

What are your thoughts on the proposed changes? Would you buy an ultra-efficient vehicle instead of your pre-planned six-star Green Vehicle Guide vehicle if the new changes were to be made?

Toyota Guru

How about lower registration costs FCAI?
JEKYL & HYDE

i think that julia now has a few more headache’s bigger than $2-5 grand for each car in a cash 4 clunkers scheme.how about centrelink payments for the estimated 2 million people affected by the so called moronic murray-darling river basin plan.stuff you julia…
f1worldchamp

That’s right, restrict it to so-called green vehicles like the Prius, whose credentials are dubious at best.
ANY car on sale right now is better than ANY pre-95 vehicle. Isn’t that good enough?
MW

FCAI’s proposed rules would rule out cars such as the polo and golf which have great fuel efficient engines. Shouldn’t the scheme be used to support such technology?

These engines use less energy to produce than the hybrid power-train
Owen Petersen

How about they spend the money on Nuclear Power which would save more greenhouse gasses and be just as environmentaly friendly as another 2000 Prius snot boxes.
Mr Brooksy

That’s just great! So you’re driving around in your old Commodore and need to upgrade as the family includes one or two tall teens and a primary school kid. So they take their old car into either Ford or Holden saying they want to stay with a local manufacturer to support Aussie jobs (yes I maybe dreaming about when Aussies gave a damn about their fellow mates). Only to be told, sorry. You can’t buy anything except the Fiesta econetic or Barina for the family….

So off to Toyboata to buy a cramped, Hybrid Camry.

Great way to put more $$ in Mr Toyoda’s pocket and leave the Aussie built cars sitting in show rooms.

Hears to hoping someone in Parliment will say “wheres the profits of the cars going?”
Glen

I think $5000 for vehicles that use less than 5.0L/100km would be a good plan.
jpd80

I’ve checked the Government green vehicle guide, I might be wrong but where are these 6 star vehicles?
The best I can find are 5 star.

If people are made jump through too many hoops and buy expensive hybrids, they will just skip it.

Why not just continue the very popular LPG conversion scheme instead. That does more good in the greater community than any industry self serving cash bonuses.