Coalition’s potential rethink on EV rules could make fuel-guzzling utes and SUVs an election issue | Electric vehicles

The hate relationship in Australia with Uts and SUVS, which runs out of fuel is now an electoral problem looming on the horizon, yet Coalition He indicated that he may rethink the standard of emission of the work vehicle.

On Tuesday, the shadow Minister of Transport, Bridge McKenziIt is called the criterion called “bad design”, and he said that the coalition will be “more than that to say” on this issue when the opposition launches its transfer policy before the elections.

The new vehicle efficiency standard in the Labor Party, which has become a law on January 1, imposes the maximum emissions for each car factory, with a penalty from $ 100 per gram of emissions On the goal.

This standard is designed to encourage car makers to launch more green vehicles in the Australian market, with more competition to reduce the price of consumers. The Electric Vehicles Council (EVC) says the standard already works.

More than 120 electric cars are now available in Australia as new laws that increase the situation of the country as “Land dumpingFor large polluted cars. Before January, Australia was the only country of OECD without the standard of emission of vehicles.

The obsession with large cars is not only nourishing the climate crisis, but it is so Make the roads more common In addition to traffic congestion. There are other costs – Australians spend on average about $ 100 a week on fuel.

But the coalition was appointed to make the standard the election problem.

On Tuesday, McKenzi said that the coalition was opposed to Nves, when it was presented, “because it will punish Australian families and conflicts simply because of the cars they love and need driving.”

She claimed that Nves “was badly designed, withdrawn the wrong lever in a cost -cost living crisis and unfairly distinguished against daily Australians”, and criticized the government to maintain the modeling that was based on it.

“We will have more to say it on Nves when the low -emission policy of the coalition is released before the elections,” she said.

McKenzi, the opposition leader, Peter Daton, and the leader of the citizens, David Litlbroud, pointed out as a “tax”, but the government described it as “an organizational commitment to stimulate the supply of more vehicles of fuel, low and frankly to Australia.”

The Electric Vehicles Council says that the standard has already has an effect that international car manufacturers choose to send to Australia.

Evc, the head of the Legal Policy and Call in EVC, said that Nves “is definitely working”, although the next part of the standard – the punishment and credit system – does not start leaving until July 1. (If car makers overcome emissions, they receive credits, which they can use to make up for emissions on other cars, dirt or trade with other manufacturers.)

Council statistics show that electric car sales – including hybrid – constitute 11.3 % of total car sales in February this year, compared to 9.3 % last year.

“With the standards works, they encourage manufacturers to bring gasoline cars more efficient, but also electric cars,” said Gore.

He said that there are now cheaper EVS in the categories – including Uts – and they can save people about $ 3,000 a year for fuel and maintenance.

Before Nves, Gaur said, Australia was “the worst standards, next to Russia” but now companies are flowing to sell EVS here.

At every month every month, there were 36 brands offered, while “three years ago, there were three”.

The coalition opposed the bill even after the government Watering itReducing targets and sculptures of popular SUVs, including Toyota Lankarir and Nissan.

Australian cars, according to Government analysis In the period before the establishment of the standard, ineffective compared to other countries and responsible for Megatonnes from greenhouse gas emissions, constitutes 11.4 % of the total Australia emissions.

This analysis found “manufacturers to supply cars to the Australian market that is not active in fuel consumption, such as cars that they provide to other markets.” I found that manufacturers do not provide the same range of electric vehicles, including hybrid electric components (PHEVS), hybrid electricity (HeVs) and electricity, due to the lack of a mandatory standard.

A study conducted in 2024 from the University of Technology, Sydney, found that Australian passenger vehicles are emitting 50 % of carbon dioxide from the average in the main markets, including the United States, China, the European Union and Japan, because these markets were “strongly” that depend on criteria for achieving the transition to less emissions.

The Federal Auto Industries Chamber, unlike EVC position, says that the standard does not work. According to its latest data, “pure” electric cars (with the exception of hybrid) reached only 5.9 % in February, a decrease from 9.6 % last year, while the preference for larger cars continued.

“Consumers are not buying it” and “without great penetration into EVS, we will not meet the noble ambitions of the government,” said Tony Weber, CEO of FCAI, although more EVS is now available.

“The penalties will be paid … or people will keep their current cars for a longer period and we will have an old and more tangible fleet.”

He said that the government did not issue its model on supply and demand, and called for sitting with the industry “to provide a path forward.”

The Guardian asked Australia from the government.

Weber also said that the idea of ​​Australia as a “dumping land” was “completely irrational” because it is a relatively small market.

Climate Fellow John Stone, a recently retired Melbourne University, drew a larger picture.

He said: “If we will reach our climatic goals and our health and luxury goals, we must use cars less.”

Stone said this means giving people a way to leave their cars at home, including investing in tracks and cycling tracks to encourage other transportation forms.

He said, “Build it and you will come.”