Australia would introduce new standards targeting vehicle emissions to boost the uptake of electric cars, as it looks to catch up with other developed economies.
Just 3.8% of cars sold in Australia last year were electric, well behind other developed economies such as Britain and Europe, where electric cars made up 15% and 17% of sales, respectively.
The new national electric vehicle strategy will introduce a fuel efficiency standard that will outline how much carbon dioxide a car will produce when running, Energy Minister Chris Bowen said in a news conference.
“Fuel-efficient and electric vehicles are cleaner and cheaper to run – today’s announcement is a win-win for motorists,” Bowen said in a statement.
Details would be finalized in the coming months, he added.
Apart from Russia, Australia was the only developed country to either not have or be developing fuel efficiency standards, which encourage manufacturers to supply more electric and no-emission vehicles.
