Government

Australia is at a “standstill” when it comes to bringing its emissions standards into line with the rest of the world, with one senior car company executive claiming: “I can’t find anyone in Canberra to talk about it”. Hyundai’s senior manager for future mobility and government relations, Scott Nargar, has revealed Australia came close to upgrading current Euro V emissions standards – which are now 10 years behind Europe – in the lead-up to this year’s Federal election.

Nissan Australia will build its new national headquarters and electric vehicle training centre in Melbourne, creating 60 new jobs in the process. The training centre will be used to train dealers, engineers and technicians from New Zealand and Australia on the new world of Nissan electric vehicles, first of which is the Leaf hatchback. Nissan is currently headquartered in Dandenong South, Victoria, where 400 people are employed. The new training centre will create 60 more jobs.

As the debate surrounding electric vehicles reaches a fever pitch, the CEO of Australia's Electric Vehicle Council has called out the Federal Energy Minister for "truly ludicrous" comments surrounding the technology. Angus Taylor, Federal Energy Minister, this week claimed Labor is readying a 'housing tax' to fund the installation of charge infrastructure in new housing developments.

The Senate Select Committee on Electric Vehicles has called for a firm national electric vehicle sales target and tighter emissions standards to drive adoption of battery-powered vehicles in Australia. Most prominently, the report calls for national EV targets for "light passenger vehicles, light commercial vehicles and metropolitan buses", as a way to demonstrate a firm commitment to accelerating electric uptake in Australia.

Labor in New South Wales has proposed new targets and funding to encourage electric vehicle (EV) adoption, calling for 25 per cent of government fleet vehicles to be EV by 2025. The state opposition has also committed $10 million over three years to electric vehicle infrastructure, called for reformed planning regulations to encourage charging infrastructure in residential apartment blocks, and promised $1 million for a public awareness campaign to communicate the technology's benefits.