Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard passed Federal Parliament on 16 May 2024, and will commence on 1 January 2025. This is a huge win for our climate, our health and our hip pockets, and something the Climate Council campaigned hard for.

Find out below how the policy will work, and all the benefits Aussies will experience because of it – no matter how they choose to get around.

Australians are paying too much for fuel. We’re also driving vehicles that guzzle more fuel and spew out all sorts of harmful pollutants into the air. This is because we don’t have national standards that make manufacturers send us their most efficient cars.

With over 85% of the international car market covered by fuel efficiency standards, Australia is missing out on the cleanest, cheapest to run cars.

Emissions from other sectors in Australia have started a welcome and necessary decline, yet those from transport are still rising. To cut our petrol bills, clean up our air and protect all Australians from escalating climate change, we need to rapidly slash transport emissions. 

Enter… fuel efficiency standards. Here’s a crash course in the top 10 things you should know about this great tool for tackling transport emissions and cutting Aussie fuel bills.

1. Fuel efficiency standards will save drivers money

Australians are battling huge cost of living pressures, with high and volatile prices at the petrol pump among the key culprits. Introducing a strong fuel efficiency standard will slash fuel costs for Aussie drivers. That’s because more efficient new cars use less fuel, so it will cost less to fill up at the pump. Drivers who make the switch to a zero emissions vehicle will see even bigger savings, cutting out petrol bills altogether as well as having lower maintenance costs.  

A well-designed fuel efficiency standard could save consumers up to $10,000 over a vehicle’s lifetime, and deliver up to $13.6 billion in total benefits for Australians by 2035.

The average new car will consume less fuel to drive the same distance, lowering fuel bills and helping Australians tackle cost of living pressures. 

The money saved will create more economic opportunities in our local communities by reducing the amount of money flowing offshore to fossil fuel giants. Fuel efficiency standards will help keep more money here at home in Australia, supporting the community and local businesses. 

2. Fuel efficiency standards will give Aussie drivers more choice in new cars

There is strong demand for new low and zero emission vehicles in Australia, but a lack of supply means that waiting lists of 12 months or more are common at the moment. Australians also have far fewer choices for low and zero emission vehicles at an affordable price, compared with drivers overseas. The European Union currently has over 200 models of electric vehicles available, whereas Australia has just over 50.
Fuel efficiency standards can help boost the range and affordability of low and zero emissions vehicles in Australia, by providing a strong incentive for manufacturers to send their cheapest and cleanest new cars here. With a fuel efficiency standard in place, EVs are expected to reach price parity with petrol cars in Australia within the next few years.

Find out how hybrids compare with battery electric vehicles here

3. Fuel efficiency standards will cap pollution from new cars

Fuel efficiency standards aim to limit the greenhouse gas emissions Australia’s fleet of cars release. They do this by creating a maximum annual average level of carbon emissions across a manufacturer’s overall new car sales. Over time, the maximum amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) that can be emitted is reduced, meaning car makers must offer more low and zero emissions new vehicles to avoid penalties. Over time, the cap keeps shrinking until all new vehicles sold must be zero emissions. 

Strong fuel efficiency standards already cover over 85 percent of the international car market, including in a range of markets similar to Australia’s, like the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand. This is a tried and tested way of driving down pollution from new cars, to clean up our fleet over time as Aussies buy a new ride. Analysis commissioned for the Climate Council shows strong fuel efficiency standards could avoid 31 million tonnes of harmful transport pollution in Australia over the years to 2035.

4. Fuel efficiency standards will clean up our air for better health

Australia is one of a few wealthy countries alongside Russia which does not have fuel efficiency standards capping how much CO₂ our new cars can produce. Because of this, we have become a dumping ground for polluting petrol and diesel cars that are much dirtier and more expensive to run than those commonly sold in other markets. This is harming our health, as well as our hip pockets. 

Research from the University of Melbourne has found that air pollution from cars, trucks and fossil-fuel powered buses may cause over 11,100 deaths every year and result in over 12,000 cardiovascular hospitalisations, over 6,800 respiratory hospitalisations and 66,000 asthma cases annually in Australia. A strong fuel efficiency standard can help slash transport emissions – including both planet-warming CO₂ and other pollutants like nitrogen oxides (NOx); particulate matter (PM2.5 & PM10) – tiny particles ranging in size from 2.5 to 10 micrometres that can penetrate into the lungs and bloodstream causing a range of health problems; and carbon monoxide (CO). Fewer emissions from our cars means fewer pollutants released into the air and better health for all Australians.  

5. Fuel efficiency standards are already in place in lots of markets just like ours

Fuel efficiency standards are a common and popular tool used around the world to cut transport pollution and improve the efficiency of new cars. The United States has had fuel efficiency standards since the 1970s, progressively tightening them over time. Drivers there have access to a wide range of vehicles, including choices which are popular in Australia like utes and four wheel drives. In recent years, the US has become a leading developer of electric utes and other heavy duty vehicles.  

The United Kingdom and New Zealand also have fuel efficiency standards which are set to steeply slash emissions. Both of these countries are right-hand drive markets just like Australia. This means manufacturers are already producing and selling plenty of lower and zero emission vehicles in other markets like ours.

6. The Federal Government is working on a fuel efficiency standard for Australia right now

As part of the National Electric Vehicle Strategy announced in April 2023, the Federal Government has promised to design and deliver Australia’s own fuel efficiency standards. This is a welcome and well-overdue step to start cleaning up our fleet.  Find out more about the Government’s recent announcement on preferred settings for its New Vehicle Efficiency Standard that’s in the works here.  

But designing any old standards won’t do. For Australians to see these big benefits, our home-grown fuel efficiency standard needs to be strong and well-designed. We can learn from the best examples around the world and expert advice on cutting transport emissions to make sure this delivers real savings for drivers and genuine cuts to emissions. What does that look like? Read on…

7. We need all new cars to be zero emissions by 2035 at the latest

Every new vehicle sold today will likely remain in the fleet for more than a decade. That is why the International Energy Agency has said we need to see 100 per cent of new cars sold be zero emissions by 2035 at the latest, in order to reach the global net zero by 2050 goals in the following years. 

In Australia, this means setting a fuel efficiency standard on a trajectory that can rapidly reduce new vehicle emissions year-on-year, so that all new cars can be zero emissions as soon as possible. At the moment, the average new light passenger car sold in Australia produces 146.5 grams of CO₂ per kilometre (g CO₂/km), while it is even higher for large SUVs and light commercial vehicles at an average of 212.5g CO₂/km. We have a long way to go to reach zero emissions with our new vehicle fleet, so we need to aim high and go fast now in setting strong fuel efficiency standards. 

Climate Council notes that a science-aligned emissions reduction target would see Australia reach net zero by 2035, significantly earlier than 2050. For this reason, 2035 should be considered the latest date for an effective emissions reduction trajectory in our fuel efficiency standard.

8. Aligning with other major markets will see Australia move up the queue for cleaner and cheaper vehicles

Australia is currently at the back of the queue when it comes to accessing the cleanest and cheapest new cars. To move up the queue for the best new cars, we need fuel efficiency standards which are at least equivalent to other major markets, like New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom. Car manufacturers have to supply plenty of lower and zero emission vehicles to these car markets to meet fuel efficiency standards and avoid penalties. But currently in Australia, there is no incentive for them to do so because we don’t have the same standards. 

A weak standard which lags behind other countries is just as bad as having no standard at all, because Australians will not see the benefits of cleaner cars that are cheaper to run. To realise these benefits, Australia’s fuel efficiency standard needs to be competitive with the other major markets manufacturers are already sending their best cars to. 

9. Excess credits provide loopholes for manufacturers that can water down the benefits  

With fuel efficiency standards, car manufacturers can earn and sell credits if their fleet emissions are below the cap. Manufacturers who have emissions over the cap must buy these credits to lower their own fleet average. Earning and trading credits is an important part of how fuel efficiency standards work. 

But in some countries, vehicle manufacturers are allowed to count low and zero emission vehicles more than once when calculating their fleet emissions (also known as “super credits” or “multiplier credits”). This means they can meet the caps while still selling a lot of high polluting vehicles. Some schemes also give out additional credits for technologies that manufacturers claim cut emissions beyond the tailpipe, like measures to reduce air conditioning use and improve engine cooling (also known as “off-cycle credits”).  

These kinds of free credits are effectively loopholes for manufacturers – letting them claim to be cutting emissions while continuing to sell dirty cars which are expensive to run. Including them in the design of an Australian fuel efficiency standard would significantly reduce both the cost and emissions savings achieved – slashing the benefits for all of us.  

10. Every day we wait to put a fuel efficiency standard in place, Aussies are missing out on the benefits

Australians are currently doing it tough in the face of rising costs of living – including high prices at the petrol pump. Every day we wait to introduce a strong standard in Australia means drivers will continue to miss out on cleaner cars that are cheaper to run. 

Australians have already paid a high price for our governments dragging their feet. If fuel efficiency standards had been introduced in 2016 (when this was last on the agenda), Aussie drivers would have saved $5.9 billion in fuel costs. We would also have avoided 9 million tonnes of CO₂ – similar to a year’s worth of emissions from domestic aviation.

The Federal Government should put the pedal to the metal and get fuel efficiency standards started in 2024, so that more Australians can start sharing the benefits as soon as possible. 

Want to know more?

The Climate Council has developed recommendations for fuel efficiency standards that would get Australia off the starter’s grid and into the race for the world’s cleanest and best cars. Read our policy brief or dig into our technical submission to the Federal Government’s design process.  Find out how hybrids compare with battery electric vehicles here.

The post 10 things you should know about Fuel Efficiency Standards appeared first on Climate Council.

So what’s the plan? Drive our electric car from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast and back, taking in the epic Victorian Alpine Country and stunning NSW-Queensland coastline and hinterland. That’s just a casual 4,300km round trip.

I love our electric vehicle (EV) –  it has close to a 500 kilometre range – yet it’s fair to say I was concerned about the chance of not finding a charging station at points throughout our journey, given the peak summer period traffic, extra luggage weight and air con use. But my travel companion and co-pilot (my wife Michelle) and I were up for the challenge (although she did veto the purchase of reindeer antlers for the car)

So, let’s unpack our journey! 

Planning our trip

There are a few apps available to help with trip planning, such as PlugShare, ChargeFox, Evie and the one we opted for, ABRP (A Better Route Planner). Once you’ve entered your car’s details the app can factor in everything from weight to how much charge you’re starting with and use this information to generate options for charging stops along your specified route. Using an app like these took the guesswork out of it, and meant we were confident that we’d have enough charge for the different stages of our trip. 

And we’re off!

Making sure we were fully charged, we hopped in the car, buckled up, and set course for the sunshine state. But first, we had to select some tunes to send us on our merry way. First, we chose ‘The Chain’ by Fleetwood Mac, which was the theme song for the BBC’s F1 show when I was a kid growing up in Scotland. Mind you, we didn’t plan on breaking any speed records but it did remind us that you can add your cruising speed on the trip planning app as another factor in the charging equation. 

While we’re on music, did you know that 80s pop band ‘A-ha’ was instrumental (‘scuse the pun) in getting Norway to embrace EVs? The power of music knows no bounds!

Our first stop was Glenrowan, where we plugged in to recharge the car and I grabbed a coffee. For most of the trip, we tended to charge the car from 20-30 percent to 80 percent battery level in around 30 to 40 mins. 

Something I hadn’t expected was that charging your EV is such a social experience. The process of charging your car over thirty minutes or so provides a chance to interact with fellow EV drivers, discuss travel plans and share experiences of charging your cars, and swap tips about the different providers and apps to use. It’s a fun collective learning experience. 

Over the course of our summer road trip, at various charging stations along the highway, we met all sorts of people. There was a young family travelling from Queensland to Tassie in their EV, a student and his girlfriend taking his mum’s EV on a road trip from NSW to Victoria, young students from Sydney checking out the Gold Coast in an EV hire car, and a retired couple touring NSW. 

Only twice over the course of 4,300 km did we have to wait for a charger to be free to use – not bad considering it was peak holiday season. On one of those rare occasions, I got chatting to a fellow named Shane, whose car was charging in the station we needed. When we realised we had some overlapping charging time, Shane offered to plug our car in for us while we went for dinner and text us to let us know when to hit charge on the app. With a charged up car and appetites satisfied, we hit the road again. Thank you very much, Shane! 

Charging your EV doesn’t need to be a chore. You can chat to fellow travellers, take a power nap, explore the surrounds, grab some food or read a book. While charging at Coffs Harbour, we swam laps at the nearby pool and had a coffee before hitting the road again. In Glenrowan, we checked out the Ned Kelly museum. On one of our stopovers in NSW, we had dinner at an incredible pub which was powered by solar PV.

And it wasn’t all fast charging either. A small town near ACT (where we stayed overnight) kindly provided free ‘trickle charging’ using a Type 2 Portable EV Charger with 10 Amp plug. We also did this at the home of our friends in the Hunter region in NSW. At another friend’s place in Fingal Head, northern NSW, we used their home Type 2 EV charger.

In total, our 4,300km summer road trip from Melbourne to Queensland’s sunshine coast and back again cost us around $300 in charging fees. If we had done this trip in a petrol car, it could have cost us between $560-$920. 

In fact, the Climate Council’s latest analysis shows that drivers taking their families on holiday by charging a battery electric vehicle pay only a quarter (24%) of the cost of filling up an average petrol car in New South Wales, a fifth (21%) in Victoria, almost a fifth in Queensland (19-20%) and the Australian Capital Territory (17%).

The big takeaway after my summer roadtrip? EVs are no longer the cars of the future; they are the cars of today. 

Australia is getting its wheels in motion, but it needs to move into the fast lane and help Aussies access cleaner cars that are cheaper to run . Right now, Australia pales in comparison to EV uptake and infrastructure abroad because we’re one of the only wealthy countries without mandated fuel efficiency standards for new vehicles. We need these regulations, alongside investments in charging infrastructure, to support the uptake of low and zero emissions vehicles  in Australia.

It’s high time for Australia to get on the path to cleaner transport. EVs, alongside a mix of walking, bike riding, and public transport, will play an important role in cutting transport emissions this decade. The great news is that transforming how we get around is not only great for the environment, but for our wallets, our lungs and our communities.  

In the meantime, I’m back home in Melbourne where it’s time to give the car a holiday and jump back on the tram to work or get on my bike to exercise the ghost of Christmas past puddings. Until next year!

Details on the trip and charging costs were supplied by the case study. This was compared to the average Australian passenger vehicle defined by ABS (journey cost of $923 with 11.1L/100km fuel consumption) and a Toyota Camry (journey cost of $565 with 6.8L/100km fuel consumption). The average fuel costs refer to the week ended 24 December for 2023 when the trip began and are used for the duration of the trip. Where a journey crosses into another state, the fuel costs of the origin state are used throughout. EV charging costs can differ substantially depending on the type of charging used, while home charging with solar is the cheapest (other than free public charging), grid charging sits in the middle, and public charging via standard AC and fast DC charging can be more expensive. 

The post Road tripping in our electric vehicle appeared first on Climate Council.

Cars cause more than 60% of Australia’s transport pollution. Due to our lack of transport infrastructure we’re highly reliant on them for getting around. In fact, our per capita transport emissions are 45% higher than that of comparable countries. Australia also spends more on roads. 

What Australians want:

The Climate Council partnered with YouGov to commission the People and Transport National Poll 2022; we asked more than 2100 Aussies what they think about Australian transport.

The People and Transport National Poll reveals that:

• Eight in 10 Australians believe governments should invest more in public transport
• Seven in 10 are keen to see Australia’s entire bus fleet electrified and run on renewables as soon as possible. 
• More than two-thirds of Australians think governments should deliver more footpaths and bike lanes across the country.

The survey of Australian adults also found:  

• When it comes to walking and/or riding a bike to get around, people would most like to see governments invest in building more dedicated bike lanes separated from car traffic (52%) and establishing more connected networks of footpaths and bike lanes (47%).

• Australian state governments currently allocate less than 2 per cent of their transport budgets to footpaths and bike lanes. In every state surveyed – Qld, NSW, Vic and SA – a majority (60%) of poll respondents believe this is not enough. 

• Australians want transport options that are better for our hip pockets and climate, and investing in public transport and infrastructure for walking and bike-riding is much more popular than governments may realise. Petrol and diesel cars are expensive – especially at the moment. They cost a lot to buy, maintain and fill up at the pump, particularly now the price of fuel is going through the roof.

Did you know…?

Australians who commute to work using public transport can save over $8,000 a year compared with exclusively driving a car. For those who can bike or walk, the savings are close to $12,000.

How do electric vehicles (EVs) fit into all of this?

Cars and light commercial vehicles alone make up more than  60% of Australia’s transport pollution. This is largely thanks to our petrol-guzzling cars which produce up to 40% more carbon dioxide than their European counterparts, due to our dirty and inefficient fleet. 

Have you heard of fuel efficiency standards? These standards provide incentives for car makers to supply low and zero emissions vehicles to a country – and penalise them for failing to do so. Rapidly implementing robust fuel efficiency standards will enable Australia to attract low and zero emissions vehicles rather than being a dumping ground for highly polluting guzzlers.

With a new Federal Government in charge, there’s a renewed opportunity to put strong fuel efficiency standards in place that will help us cut Australia’s emissions this decade and beyond.

The Climate Council is calling for Australian states and territories to: 

1. Allocate at least half of their transport budgets to public transport and 20 percent to initiatives that boost walking and bike-riding in line with best practice and the community’s needs. 
2. Encourage private electric bike uptake through discounts and government-funded try-before-you-buy programs. 
3. Convert state and territory bus fleets to clean, quiet and zero-emission buses.

Momentum is currently gathering to get more EVs onto Australia’s roads by introducing new Fuel Efficiency Standards. Together, these actions chart a clear course to decarbonising our transport fleet. 

Check out our full transport policy recommendations here

“Australians know leaving the car at home can deliver cheaper commutes, healthier streets and reduced emissions for a cleaner environment. Now we need the investment to back up that choice so it’s easy and convenient for people to move around in cheaper, cleaner ways.”

Climate Council Head of Advocacy, Dr Jennifer Rayner.

Find out how to get a head start on making low emissions transport choices here. 

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Our transport system has a tangible impact on the lives of everyday Australians. People should be able to expect frequent, safe, accessible and connected zero emissions transport options. The prevailing model of privately-owned vehicles is costly in terms of vehicle ownership and running expenses, ongoing investment in road capacity, congestion, transport disadvantage and increased greenhouse gas emissions. To better serve communities and achieve climate targets, Australia’s personal transport system must shift from the current polluting, car-centric model to a sustainable, zero-emissions framework powered by renewable energy. States must move towards a transport system that prioritises active transport (walking and cycling) and public transport rather than cars used for personal transport – underpinned by a generous budget commitment. This policy package provides a number of policy recommendations in the urban setting that states can begin working on today.

To keep global temperatures below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and avoid the worst climate impacts, Australia must reach net zero emissions by 2035. This will require transport emissions to plummet by an average of 6.99 million tonnes annually – as sharp a drop as experienced due to the impacts of COVID-19. Yet, if Australia is to merely reach its current target of net zero emissions by 2050, emissions in this sector must drop by at least 3.24 million tonnes annually.

Policies and investments to reduce transport emissions are not only necessary, but are a relatively easy way for states and territories to make significant headway on their net zero targets. Importantly, with the relative ease at which this sector can be abated, a focus on near absolute zero emissions with minimal offsetting will be key.

The post Sustainable Transport Policy Recommendations appeared first on Climate Council.

Before we continue – let’s clear the air (pardon the pollution pun). EVs are an important piece of the puzzle, but we won’t achieve our climate targets with EVs alone. 

Communities flourish when we open the streets for everyone to walk, ride, play, explore and move. When we’re on our feet or on two wheels, we’re getting exercise, moving in safer ways, and feel more connected to the people around us. In fact, research shows riding a bike is the ‘happiest’ way to get around.

By changing the question to ‘How many people can we move down the street?’ rather than ‘how many cars,’ we can re-imagine public space. Instead of building more car parks, we’re able to increase the street’s total capacity and open up opportunities for more green and community space This, in turn, helps us to combat the urban heat island effect – in which black, hot bitumen is turning our cities into ginormous ovens, increasing temperatures by up to three degrees celcius.

What are the benefits of a people centred transport system?

While there’s no question that we must change our transport system in order to avoid the worst climate impacts, there are many other enticing benefits from transitioning to a transport system that is centered around people who are empowered to walk, ride, use public transport or drive electric vehicles where required.

• Improving local air quality and health outcomes for communities: Air pollution from cars, trucks and fossil-fuel powered buses is responsible for an estimated 1,700 deaths every year in  Australia – larger than the national road toll. Increasing the number of people taking the bus by 20% and transitioning to EVs by 2035 would prevent a shocking 2,624 deaths between 2021 and 2050.

• Save taxpayer dollars: Using the example above, increasing the number of people taking the bus by 20% and transitioning to EVs by 2035 would save the Australian economy a staggering $492 billion.20 This figure accounts for the health and social costs arising from air pollution, emissions, noise and water pollution.21 Without policy, intervention, the costs of our transport sector on our health system will total $864.9 billion by 2050.22
  
• Reduce car traffic: Car traffic costs the Australian economy $38.8 billion annually.25 Transitioning people towards walking and bike-riding, and away from private vehicles, is a more effective solution to car traffic than government road expenditure. Creating a safe network of bike lanes, separated from roads, helps people gravitate towards bike-riding and reduces car traffic, achieving ‘traffic evaporation.’ Further, research shows that public transport is the most intelligent way to reduce car traffic. By making public transport more convenient such as increasing the frequency of services and improving network connectivity to ensure short distances to public transport stations).
  
• Creating new, high quality jobs: Investment in sustainable transport is a major job creator, with an estimated 12-15 jobs created per $1 million invested in foot paths, bike lanes and EV charging infrastructure. Bike-riding is already a significant job creator. Almost 35,000 people are directly employed in the bike industry alone – that’s close to the 39,000 workers in coal mining. Further, supporting Australian electric cars, train, tram, bus and truck manufacturing can create substantial manufacturing jobs.
  
• Reduce the cost of living: Australians are reliant on cars because our footpaths, bike lanes and public transport infrastructure is inadequate, raising the cost of getting around for households. Walking and bike-riding, followed by public transport, are the cheapest travel options, and improved infrastructure allows more Australians to experience these benefits.
  
• Improve accessibility: Improving footpaths, bike lanes and public transport can make it easier for Australia’s most vulnerable and marginalised groups to get around. These upgrades can dramatically impact older people, those living with a disability, low income households and migrant communities. Transport accessibility is a socio-economic issue: wealthier people are able to live closer to the city, and therefore have access to greater transport options. Those who stand to benefit most from the cost savings of not using a car, on the other hand, often have the lowest access to alternatives.
  
• Create choice: Quality urban design and investment that prioritises walking, riding and public transport will empower individuals to have more autonomy over their. commute. State and territory governments need to invest in improving infrastructure in order for people to have real choice about how they get around.
  
• Address the public’s needs: Investment in walking, riding and public transport is backed by Australians and has a huge impact on the day-to-day lives of those living in suburbia. Since 2010, the University of Sydney’s annual Transport Opinion Survey has found that investment in public transport infrastructure has been the highest priority transport issue for Australians – above road expenditure. It was only overtaken by COVID-19 in 2021, and was still prioritised over roads. Investment in walking, riding and public transport by state and territory governments is seen as an investment in the future by the public.

So, it’s time to reimagine the way we move… How? 

What can you do to ask for sustainable transport infrastructure?

• Communicate with your local council and state government that you want to see better walking, bike-riding and public transport infrastructure. Learn how to write a letter to your local MP here.
• If you see a transport problem – speak up! You can tell your local council where a new bike rack is needed, or identify spots where safety is an issue for walkers.
• Talk to your friends and family – share this blog and let them know that more roads are simply not the answer to fixing car traffic. We can dream bigger! Encourage people to reimagine what our public spaces could look like – what is their ideal vision for our transport system? Then break it down and share your ideas with your representatives at the local and state level.

Tweaking the way you move – when you can

The way Australian cities and towns have been built forces us to be reliant on cars – so it can be hard to leave our four wheels at home and look to alternatives. Nevertheless, there may be some car trips you can swap out for a walk, ride or trip on a bus / train or tram.

• Write down a list of your most common trips, and determine if there are any that are less than two kilometres. Set a goal to walk, ride, skate or roll (for people using a wheelchair) that route more often. 
• Consider your plans for the weekend – is there anywhere you could walk, ride or catch public transport to? Could you ask to meet friends closer to public transport hubs that are easier for everyone to access? 
• Already using public transport? If you drive to your train station, is there any way you could catch the bus or ride your bike there? 
• Do a shoutout to your colleagues, peers or school friends to ask if anyone would like to carpool (it makes the trip way more fun, after all!) 
• Could you host a ‘car-free’ day at your workplace, uni or school? There could be prizes for anyone who sticks to their new approach! 
• Check if you’re eligible for any public transport discounts
• Check your state or territory’s transport website for information on free public transport to major events 
• Make getting around fun by getting active together – why not ride your bike to the coffee shop, shops or beach, picking up your friend along the way?

If it’s too tricky to adjust the way you move right now – you’re not alone. It’s the responsibility of governments to empower people with quality, frequent and accessible public transport services as well as safe footpaths and bike lanes. So, we’re on the case – and we’ll call upon our fantastic community members to take action when the time comes! 

The post The Climate Council is campaigning for clean, sustainable transport – here’s why appeared first on Climate Council.

It seems you’ve got the wrong idea about electric vehicles.

But don’t worry, we’re here to present the facts. The Aussie weekend is not in danger, as you suggested. EVs can tow boats and caravans. They are strong, can travel long distances with a single charge and they’re also becoming increasingly affordable. Here’s a refresher on the wonderful world of EVs.

Firstly, electric vehicles are strong.

And by strong, we mean extreme heavy-lifting body builder kind of strong. In 2018, a Tesla SUV set a new Guinness World Record when it towed a 130 tonne Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner over 300 metres on a taxiway at Melbourne Airport. And as we are major sticklers for evidence here at the Climate Council, here is the video for proof:

In case you’re still unsure, here’s a list of other things the Tesla SUV would be capable of towing:

• A trailer
• A boat
• A caravan
• One of those pop-up tent things
• A horse float
• A Mardi Gras float
• Anything that weighs up to 130 tonnes, really.

Even better still, other electric SUV and 4WD models are currently in development, increasing the range of choice for EVs with towing abilities, with some models set to enter the market next year.

Electric vehicles can travel the distance

There are at least eight models of EVs on the market that can travel more than 300 km in a single charge, with the furthest travelling over 500 km. This means it’s likely your kids will need to stop for a wee-break before your EV runs out of charge.

So, you should have no problem hitting the highway for your summer road trip, getting from A to B with a similar amount of stops as your old petrol guzzling cruiser. And, when you do need a top-up, an ultra-rapid charger can provide a range of up to 400 kilometres worth of charge in just fifteen minutes.

In fact, we already road-tripped an EV from Sydney to Melbourne:

Electric vehicles are increasingly affordable

If you’re still not convinced by the strength, reliability or convenience of electric vehicles, I’m sure the dollar signs in your eyes will light up when I tell you they’re becoming more and more affordable for Australians.

With advancements in technology and a growing global demand, additional models of electric vehicles are set to hit Australian show rooms in 2020, bringing prices down even further. In fact, by 2025, EVs will be cheaper than polluting cars in Australia.

And overseas, where demand for electric vehicles is greater, even cheaper models are being produced. A Chinese company recently announced a new EV model that costs just US$10,000.

Labor’s proposed EV policy includes a target of 50 per cent of new government car purchases and leases to be electric by 2025, which would aid in the creation of a second-hand market for EVs within the next decade, resulting in substantially reduced prices.

Once you’ve got your hands on an EV, it’s also significantly cheaper to run than its carbon-emitting cousin. Charging an electric vehicle with electricity costs around half as much as the cost of the fuel needed to run an equivalent petrol car. Saving around 50% on your ‘fuel’ costs is a big win for Australian families.

Hyundai Ioniq Electric in Blazing Yellow, image by Flickr user Jakob Härter licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

EVs play a crucial role in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions

Australia has been stuck in the slow lane when it comes to EVs for far too long. Transport is Australia’s third largest source of greenhouse gas pollution, contributing to almost 20 percent of our emissions. It is vital we continue to make electric vehicles more accessible and convenient for Australians, to curb our pollution and have a real impact on climate change. But it’s important to note that increasing our EV uptake won’t come at a cost to our weekends, our road trips, or our outdoor culture.

We hope this has cleared up any confusion around EVs. If you need some more clarification, here’s an EV fact sheet.

Cheers,

The Climate Council

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There are at least eight models of electric vehicles that can travel more than 300 kilometres (km) in a single charge, with the furthest – the Tesla Model S – travelling over 500km.

Electric vehicles are increasingly affordable

The cost of electric vehicle batteries has fallen by 80% since 2010, driving down the cost of electric vehicles. By 2025, an electric car is expected to cost the same upfront as a conventional (petrol or diesel) vehicle. Research has found that electric cars are already cheaper to own and run in certain European countries. A Chinese company recently announced a new EV model that costs just US$10,000. Charging an electric vehicle with electricity costs around half as much as the cost of fuel of an equivalent petrol car.

Yes, there are electric SUVs and they can tow caravans and trailers

For example, the Tesla Model X SUV. More electric SUV and 4WD models are under development, with some entering the international market next year.

Car makers are investing heavily in electric vehicles

Over 1 million electric vehicles were sold globally in 2017. There are now more than 3 million electric vehicles on roads around the world. It is forecast that 11 million electric vehicles will be sold every year by 2025 and 30 million every year by 2030. Manufacturers are investing more than $150 billion to increase the production of electric vehicles.

Electric vehicle targets work

New Zealand has a target to reach 64,000 electric cars by 2021. New Zealand currently sells more electric vehicles than Australia, despite having a much smaller population. In Norway, 39% of all new cars sold are electric.

Strong government policies are needed to transition Australia’s car fleet from dirty petrol and diesel cars to electric cars. In Australia, the adoption of electric vehicles is being held back by the lack of policy support or incentives, the lack of choice of available electric vehicles for sale in Australia and the availability of public vehicle charging infrastructure.

Electric vehicles can help to create cleaner cities

Electric vehicles do not produce tailpipe emissions so they can significantly improve urban air quality by replacing petrol and diesel cars that produce a range of toxic pollutants.

The post Electric vehicles powered by renewable electricity are reliable, practical and increasingly affordable appeared first on Climate Council.

Sounds like it could be the start of a lame joke.

Instead, that’s only part of the incredible story behind the world’s first solar train, that has just celebrated its first birthday.

Innovative tech at work: flexible solar panels atop the train.

When the Net Carbon Dream Becomes a Reality

Operating out of Byron Bay, the train runs on one of the world’s oldest energy sources: the sun. In another world-first, the train uses flexible, curved solar panels that sit atop the roof, keeping with the heritage theme of the 1949 “red rattler” train carriages.

In addition to the 6.5kW of solar power capacity on its roof, the train’s storage shed also has solar panels which can generate up to 30kW to recharge the train’s batteries. This means the train can run almost exclusively off power collected straight from the sun.

This is net carbon positive travel with a Byron twist. The train service generates so much additional energy that it’s able to feed residual energy back to a local green energy supplier, to power nearby homes.

The Perfect Home

The train has now carried nearly 100,000 passengers in its first year and is being enthusiastically taken up by tourists and locals alike.

The iconic Byron Solar Train runs parallel to the beach.

The refurbished railroad connects a three-kilometre stretch between Byron Bay Town Centre and North Beach, providing a great solution to the oft gridlocked single lane access road into the heart of Byron.

While this location provides the perfect combination of features for the train to run – namely, it’s short and flat – that doesn’t mean it can’t be replicated elsewhere. Brian Flannery,  the owner of the Byron Bay Railroad Company, who has made his fortune from coal, believes the technology could be adopted elsewhere, especially for inner-city trams with additional charging points.

The Sustainable Transport Revolution

Transport is now Australia’s second largest source of greenhouse gas pollution behind electricity – and our transport systems are failing when it comes to tackling climate change. However, the transport sector is also one of our biggest opportunities for reducing our greenhouse gas pollution. To do so, Australia needs to roll out a fleet of sustainable transport solutions.

As Nick Lake, the project’s solar engineer put it, “The Byron Bay project happened because of private funding. Imagine what we could do with the full support of state and federal governments to electrify our transport systems. We could be moving people carbon-free. We have abundant renewable energy resources and there is now no technology barrier.”

Innovative solutions, like the Solar Train in Byron, capture our imagination by demonstrating the unlimited potential for solar. The Solar Train showcases just one of the ways that we can completely transform our transport system and help tackle climate change at the same time.

To find out more about innovative transport solutions, read our recent report, “Waiting for the Green Light: Transport Solutions to Climate Change.”

The post All Aboard the Solar Express: Byron Bay’s Solar Train appeared first on Climate Council.