An environmental lobby group says Australia could completely replace its petrol and diesel fleet with electric vehicles in ten years.
Beyond Zero Emissions chief executive Vanessa Petrio made the claim in a column in the Daily Telegraph.
“Electric cars are already cheaper to run, and within ten years they’ll be cheaper to buy. They’ll make our air cleaner and they’ll wipe out 8% of Australia’s greenhouse gases,” she says.
“Moving a big country like Australia with electric cars is a big change to what we’re used to, so it’s understandable that people may be wondering how such a change is both possible, and affordable.”
Petrio says the group’s Electric Vehicles report shows “how realistic it is to convert all our cars to electric in ten years”.
“We found that not only was the switch achievable and affordable it will have loads of positives.
“Our report also found electric cars are already cheaper to run than petrol and diesel cars. Electric power is cheaper than fuel, and there are fewer moving parts so they are cheaper to maintain.
“Batteries are currently the most expensive part of an electric car but battery prices are falling quickly.”
The range anxiety associated with electric vehicles also shouldn’t be a concern for Australians, she says.
“More than 99% of car trips are under 120 kilometres which is well within the range of an electric vehicle.
“The majority of us can conveniently charge at home. If we need to recharge away from home, a fast charge station can power up to 80% in 30 minutes.”
Australia is also developing renewable energy resources, which make EVs an attractive proposition, she says.
“The economics of electric cars are stacking up, as car manufacturers and other countries choose to go electric,” Petrio says.
“We don’t want the rest of the world looking at us in the rear-view mirror. We have the technology, all that is missing is the will to do it.”
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