One of the goals of the COP26 meeting in Glasgow is to speed up the switch to electric vehicles. But how should we do this in Australia?
For individuals in Australia, one way is to enter the 1 Million Women’s raffle for a new Electric Nissan Leaf! (Congratulations to Josephine Lamont who subsequently won the raffle!)
You could win a brand new, 100% Electric NISSAN LEAF 5-door hatch, including on-road costs valued at $53,190.00 drive-away. Every dollar raised in the raffle goes to 1 Million Women to help their critical work empowering women and girls from every corner of the globe to act on the climate crisis.
The prize will be available for pick up by the winner at their nearest Nissan dealership within 60 days of the draw. Get your tickets before 21 December!
For governments, we can advocate having policies that support the uptake of EVs.
The Grattan Institute has just released The Grattan car plan: practical policies for cleaner transport and better cities and states that the plan:
…calls on the Federal Government to impose a cap, or ceiling, on the emissions allowed from new cars sold in Australia each year, and to ratchet the ceiling down to zero by 2035.
This would help Australia hit a national target of net zero by 2050 and save drivers money – because zero-emissions electric cars are much cheaper to run than high-emitting petrol and diesel cars.
But cheaper driving could mean more driving, so state and local governments should act to discourage driving and make public transport and cycling safer and more attractive.
They should impose congestion and per-kilometre charges on cars, make trains and buses as COVID-safe as possible, and do more to separate cars and trucks from cyclists and pedestrians.
Grattan Institute modelling for this report shows that an emissions ceiling for new light vehicles could achieve at least 40 per cent of Australia’s emissions reduction task between now and 2030, at virtually no cost to taxpayers.
What do you think of these ideas?