Despite the country’s role in the global supply chain, Australia is one of the slowest adopters of electric vehicles.
The world saw a 43% surge in the sale of EVs, accounting for 3.2 million sales. In Australia, however, there was just a 4% increase. Only 7,000 EVs were sold in 2020 – an increase of 250 sales from 2019. Based on an official estimate, only a quarter of all vehicle sales by 2030 will be electric.
The EV industry blames the Australian government for a lack of promotion for clean automobile technology, reports Nikkei Asia.
Australia’s economy continues to rely heavily on fossil fuels as the conservative government is a major supporter of coal. With a reluctance to accept the dangers and urgency of climate change, there have been no movements on a national EV policy.
Furthermore, there is a severe lack of buyer incentives and fuel efficiency standards. Out of 28 models, only two have prices under AU $50,000. In comparison, the United Kingdom has over 100 models under the same price.
Combined with consumer unfamiliarity and limited charging infrastructures, Australia is far behind in the rollout of electric vehicles.
“Our national transport sector policy is laughable. Really, it’s a go-slow policy on electric vehicles,” said Behyad Jafari, chief executive of the Electric Vehicle Council.
