World EV day: ‘a watershed moment for Australia’s e-mobility’

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) says the inaugural World EV Day marks a watershed moment for Australia’s e-mobility.

FCAI chief executive Tony Weber says the industry hopes the first World EV Day will be remembered as a turning point for electric vehicles in this country.

“Business reports have suggested nearly 60% of Australians are considering an EV for their next vehicle. We are seeing the development of vital EV infrastructure and a rapid increase in acceptance of non-combustion driven powertrains,” Weber says.

In August 2020, 6,694 full electric, petrol-electric hybrids and plug-in hybrids were sold, an increase of 113.9% compared to the same period in 2019. On a year to date basis, 38,390 of these low emission vehicles were sold during August 2020, an increase of 90.% on the same period in 2019.

 August 2020 was also the first time a petrol-electric hybrid was the number one new vehicle sold over any month in Australia’s motoring history. 4,825 Toyota RAV4s were purchased throughout the month, with nine out of 10 buyers choosing the hybrid powertrain over petrol-only models.

As new models from many brands become available to Australian drivers, sales of full electric, petrol-electric hybrids and plug-in hybrids have continued to increase. 2019 saw EV sales triple in Australia, with the rise of EVs continuing in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

 In July, the FCAI announced a new industry-led reporting system, the FCAI CO2 Emissions Standard, which sets out industry and brand CO2 emissions reduction targets at 2030. 

The Standard aligns with manufacturers’ traditional position of bringing the best possible products, with the latest safety and power-train technologies, to the Australian market.

“The FCAI CO2 Emissions Standard creates an incentive for manufacturers to ensure their most advanced EV technology is available Down Under. We’re already seeing the impact. The World’s best electrified vehicles are making their way here, and people are buying them,”
Weber says.

The FCAI CO2 Emissions Standard calculates industry and brand CO2 targets on a sales-weighted average mass per unit basis against sales recorded in VFACTS, the industry data source.

Over the past 15 years, Australia’s automotive industry has achieved strong reductions in vehicle emissions through the research and development investments of parent companies in the United States, Europe and Asia.

As at December 2019, FCAI members had already achieved a 24.9% reduction in emissions from 2005 levels.