Car lobby gets dirty delaying the shift to electric vehicles
29th May 2023: Car lobby gets dirty delaying the shift to electric vehicles
Solar Citizens today responds to the news that the Federal Chamber for Automotive Industries (FCAI) has been privately campaigning for a weak Fuel Efficiency Standard in documents obtained under freedom of information laws by the think tank Influence Map.
Clean Transport Campaigner Ajaya Haikerwal says that the FCAI’s tactics are similar to those employed by the fossil fuel industry to delay the shift to renewables.
“This covert behaviour is right out of the playbook of the fossil fuel industry – delay-ism is the new denialism. The Australian public shouldn't have to put up with this level of corporate spin,” said Haikerwal.
“Carmakers should have gotten the signal that a Fuel Efficiency Standard is coming as 85% of the world's light vehicle market is already covered by one – Australia doing the same should be no surprise.
“Australia is one of the last two remaining G20 countries to adopt these rules. Car makers must know the age of inefficient, polluting and expensive-to-run cars is over, and they can’t continue selling them in Australia.
“The auto industry and their vested interests are getting in the way of the amazing cost of living savings presented by electric vehicles. Aussies are already bleeding at the hip with ludicrous petrol prices, so it’s time we modernised our transport sector with cost-saving technology the rest of the world has had for over 10 years.
The Federal Government is currently consulting on what an Australian Fuel Efficiency Standard should look like, with submissions closing on Wednesday, May 31st.
“Australia is already so far behind the rest of the world, and our transport emissions are skyrocketing. If we’re ever going to catch up, we need a Fuel Efficiency Standard that meets and beats the commitments of our major trading partners like New Zealand and the European Union and doesn’t have dodgy loopholes like “super credits” for car makers as they have in the United States.
“Analysis we have undertaken shows that Australian communities could be $11 billion better off if we implement a strong Fuel Efficiency Standard, including $4 billion for regional Australians.”
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Media Contact: Ajaya Haikerwal, Clean Transport Campaigner (0400 723 324
