Mark Butler has declared the transition to electric cars “unstoppable” and a “revolution”, as the Labor energy spokesman staunchly defended his controversial pre-election pledge to impose a 50 per cent target on the vehicles.
Analysis from engineering firm ABMARC — revealed by The Australian today — states Bill Shorten’s electric vehicle target of 50 per cent of new car sales by 2030 would have needed between $5bn and $7bn in recharging infrastructure and additional investment in “switchboards, transformers and poles and wires”.
Yesterday, before The Australian revealed the damning pre-election report, Mr Butler told the Electric Vehicle Transition Conference in Sydney that his electric car policy was a “very sensible thing to do”.
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“I didn’t get in a room with a blank sheet of paper and write this policy myself. It followed very deep engagement with stakeholders and with industry,” he said in Sydney.
“Although I think it was ambitious, when you set it against where the global car industry is heading I don’t think it was a particularly remarkable policy.
“We focused on the fleet sector and I think that reflects the nature of our market and the nature of some of the policy tools that we had in the kit.
“I think that was a very sensible thing to do.”
In April, Mr Shorten unveiled a $100 million commitment towards the rollout of 200 fast-charging stations across the nation, a 50 per cent electric vehicle target for government vehicle purchases and new tax incentives for fleet buyers to purchase green cars instead of conventional combustion engine vehicles.
Scott Morrison’s criticism of Labor’s electric vehicle policy — in tandem with the Coalition’s attacks on Labor’s big tax-and-spend agenda and climate change costings — was viewed by some inside the ALP as a weak point for the opposition in some electorates.
Despite using the EV policy against Labor, the Coalition government has been generally supportive of the EV industry and yesterday Energy Minister Angus Taylor unveiled $15m in taxpayer money to help build 48 EV charging stations in the eastern states.
Mr Butler’s staunch defence of the EV policy comes a week after his assistant minister Pat Conroy told The Australian that the party should keep its 45 per cent emissions reduction target, despite fears the policy cost Labor votes in regional Queensland.
Analysis has shown that electric vehicles currently produce higher emissions than normal petrol vehicles due to EVs’ continuing reliance on a coal-dominated electricity grid.
The ABMARC analysis also unravelled Labor’s argument for Australia to replicate Norway’s electric car market, which imposes heavy taxes on passenger vehicles and provides generous incentives for EVs.
In April, Anthony Albanese used the Norway example to criticise Australia’s performance in the electric vehicle sector.
“In Norway last year, not a third world country, 47 per cent of new car sales were electric vehicles — 47 per cent. Australia is falling massively behind the world,” the now Opposition Leader said.
While he stated that the EV policy was among those currently under review, Mr Butler yesterday said the transition to electric cars was “unstoppable” and that he would remain heavily engaged in the sector.
“The Commonwealth Government can slow it down and make it much harder for consumers to get the maximum benefit out of the transition, but this transition is ultimately unstoppable,” Mr Butler said. “We are very keen to remain engaged in this area and make sure that we can play a role in ensuring that consumers get the maximum benefit from the EV revolution, because its truly a revolution.”
Reporter
Canberra
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