Today is the second day of the Everything Electric Show 2024, held at the Sydney Showgrounds. This morning Minister for Climate Change and Energy of Australia, Chris Bowen attended the event and took to the stage to deliver an uplifting speech to the audience of the main stage.
During the speech, Bowen commented on Australia’s recent vehicle emission standards, currently in draft form, current out for feedback, ahead of being voted for by our Parliament.
When Bowen mentioned the efficiency standards, it was met by an applause from the crowd. During the speech which lasted just a few minutes, Bowen commented that some are resisting the proposed legislation and followed up by saying,
We will push it through the parliament
Minister for Climate Change and Energy of Australia, Chris Bowen
A fuel efficiency standard would regulate the average carbon dioxide (CO2) per year that can be emitted from new vehicles supplied by a manufacturer. This aims signal to automakers that Australia wants more efficient vehicles and to decrease CO2 emissions in an effort to meet our climate change targets, of which the transport sector accounts for close to 20%.
While fully electric vehicles may be the end state over the next 15 years, it is possible to make a changes like this now and reduce emissions while the transition takes place.
More than 85% of all vehicles sold globally are already covered by a fuel efficiency standard, of the developed nations, its really Australia and Russia that lack any standard like this.
It is expected that the new regulation would come into effect on January 1st, 2025. In the most extreme outcome, automakers could receive fines for selling vehicles that don’t meet the standard, effectively making them unprofitable, which would ensure the desired outcome.
The Fully Charged/Electrify Everything crew commented that they’d never had a Minister in the UK receive an applause before. Pictured here is Robert Llewellyn, Chris Bowen and Dan Caesar in front of a Kona Electric at the Everything Electric Australia Show 2024.
