Thanks to years of political inaction, Australia is one of the few countries in the world not to have a New Vehicle Efficiency Standard. The European Union, New Zealand and China have one. Even the United States has a standard, which means new cars in Australia use 20 per cent more fuel and create 20 per cent more pollution than their American counterparts. With the Albanese Government about to introduce legislation to correct this situation, the Coalition is busily dusting off the ‘war on utes/the weekend’ rhetoric.
Nationals senator and shooting enthusiast Bridget McKenzie recently claimed Australians were about to be ‘smashed between the eyes’ by the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, while Peter Dutton has described the move as a ‘huge new tax’ on families. Sound familiar?
‘If they want to apply a tax, they need to explain it,’ said the opposition leader, still smarting from his by-election defeat in Dunkley. ‘Not just drop it out there and then not mention it again and pretend like it’s not happening.’
Actually the proposed legislative change has already been subject to an extensive public consultation process, beginning in April 2023. You can read more about what’s been proposed and the public reaction here, including 2,700 written submissions. The government has recently accepted another round of public submissions on the design of the proposed standard.
Do something!
A quick flick through the thousands of responses reveals an overwhelming desire from stakeholders and the general public to do something serious about vehicle efficiency standards, yesterday if possible.
Because Australia doesn’t have a standard, we’ve become a dumping ground for inefficient vehicles which are unsaleable in most of the world, apart from places like Russia.
The lack of government policy has provided cover for car companies here to continue business as usual, in spite of the effects on family fuel costs and the global carbon budget.
With climate damaging emissions from cars, utes and vans making up almost two thirds of transport emissions in Australia, the Climate Council has revealed that five car companies are responsible for almost two and a half million tonnes of CO2 emissions, with Toyota the worst offender at 547,919 tonnes, comparable to the Scope 1 output from some of the country’s biggest coal mines.
The rest of the ‘Dirty Five’ are Hyundai (including Kia and Genesis), Ford, Hyundai, the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, and Mazda. By an amazing coincidence, these companies have also been some of the most vocal critics of the proposed New Vehicle Efficiency Standard.
Too much or not enough?
Independent Senator David Pocock has called for the standards to be brought in six months earlier, while LNP attack dog and Member for Fairfax Ted O’Brien said the ‘government’s heavy-handed approach will drive utes off Australian roads’.
At issue is the penalties for non-compliant vehicles; how much and who will pay? Industry data shows that Toyota will face a shortfall in the scheme’s first year of around $1,300 impost per ute and van, unless the company changes the cars it imports and sells (which of course is the idea).
The plan is that car companies without appropriately low emission products buy credits from other manufacturers with more advanced vehicles. Efficiency opponents claims these costs will have to be passed on to consumers.
A few days ago, Tesla quit the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (a national lobby group for car-makers), for its support of the Coalition’s campaign of misinformation over the effects of the New Vehicle Efficiency Scheme on car prices. Other emerging car makers look likely to follow them.
Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen said ‘it is incumbent on everyone in the debate to provide full facts, proper facts, truthful facts’, pointing out that vehicle efficiency standards have existed in most countries for decades, with no evidence of car prices going up as a result.
Unfortunately, Peter Dutton has proven repeatedly that he’s much more interested in power than facts, no matter the cost to Australia, talking nonsense about nuclear energy at every opportunity and flying across the country recently to attend Gina Rinehart’s birthday party for forty minutes, but unable to resist demonising vehicle efficiency standards in pursuit of short term electoral advantage.
Originally from Canberra, David Lowe is an award-winning film-maker, writer and photographer with particular interests in the environment and politics. He’s known for his campaigning work with Cloudcatcher Media.
Long ago, he did work experience in Parliament House with Mungo MacCallum.
Lord Dudton and his ‘Ute-tax’ nonsense.
Perhaps he could explain why the The Coalition in 2017, having done plenty of work in regard to bringing in a Fuel Efficiency Standard, abruptly dropped anything to do with Fuel Efficiency Standard. It couldn’t be that the FCAI were pulling the strings back then, just like the FCAI is tugging harder than ever on those strings right now.
Tesla and Polestar have dumped the FCAI.
Other big car makers -Mercedes, Volkswagen Group, Hyundai, Kia, are all publicly supporting Fuel Efficiency Standard.
The dirty ICE machine holdouts led by Toyota, are dinosaurs, watching on as EV’s steamroller them into extinction.
Perhaps Toyota and gang need to bone up on what happened with Kodak.
It makes sense that when this was raised in 2017, the PM was Malcolm Turnbull. It also makes sense that it never saw the light of day. If it’s all happening too quickly, as some in the industry complain, it’s because, like so much else, too little was done for too long.
Bone up Joachim..do you drive a electric car ? 🫣🤔
What’s that got to do with the price of 🐠, Barrow?
Price of Fish Lizardbreath ?
Paid enough resently at a fish co op ..
As for what the Article is suggesting..
Most of them telling us we are in Trouble
Dooms day eco anxiety garbage !
Look do have respect for David
as we all should be conscious about
Limiting our own carbon footprint..
and i do Lizardbreath..do you ?
Like i have solar ..electric vehicle
so iam certainly playing my part
For our planet..the problem i have
are double standard hypocrites !
In the first order ..when it comes to
Limiting one’s carbon footprint.
Especially the greens ..Mr Bandt
What more can i say ..this bloke
Lizardbreath.. dos not own a electric car
Fly’s around Australia in planes
Circumnavigating the countryside Spewing hydrocarbon’s
Whilst lecturers Passengers… all in a climate emergency apparently…and the stupid
Black out bowen ..who along with Bandt
Are dumb …shutdown Australia today
and would not make one but of difference
To Global warming..Virtually Zero !
Nuclear power..Zero emissions
Not the cheapest..however the most
Reliable..something that renewables will never be..France use it for 70% of it’s
Power sources..The Germans will be next ..
Congratulations on all those efforts to limit your carbon footprint Barrow, which you say we should all be conscious of. I’m a bit confused though – why should we worry if it’s all eco alarmism, a hoax, a conspiracy etc etc?
Attacking people for their supposed hypocrisy is a distraction though. Smoke and mirrors. A total side issue. You need to discuss courses of action – like vehicle emission standards – on their merits.
You don’t know what either Joachim or I do. I’ve been aware of the science of climate change since my twenties and I have certainly made efforts to curb my carbon footprint ever since. Most importantly, I haven’t voted LNP nor tried to convince everyone there isn’t a problem. I had children, and now grandchildren.
I could clearly do more, as could we all, but that doesn’t mean we should just let rip.
This is an article about VES – no need to rush to take up the cudgels for the latest LNP nuclear brain fart.
And oh – the price of fish. I reckon, get used to it and expect it to get worse. Between hoovering up great quantities and overheating the water, we’re well on our way to putting more plastic in the oceans than there are fish.
Actually barrow for all your ravings and name calling I didn’t read any facts. I remember you complaining about the price of energy now you want the most expensive form nuclear. Nuclear as proposed will seem to be placed in labor not coalition electorates which would make nuclear energy an alibi to do nothing. So barrow going for the $100 roast?
The stringent US CAFE standards exhibit leniency towards larger vehicles, thereby fostering the creation of economical yet frail ‘trucks’ and SUVs. This trend has led to a surge in vehicle dimensions, escalating emissions across the nation, all the while giving the illusion of impactful measures being taken.
Australia is a tiny player in this current “emissions emergency”.
What we do here does practically nothing on the world scene.
Anyway, we basically have to follow EU/US regulations due to our car/truck market being so small + LHD.
Of course, after any changes in laws over emissions/efficiency, we do tend to be the dumping ground for any residue of non-compliant stock.
RA,
Murderers are only a tiny group of players in the story of public safety too.
Are you suggesting we should have no laws to try to regulate this problem?
Are you suggesting the government force us into permanent lockdown because violent criminals exist?
Should we go back to the stone age to prevent the deserts disappearing?
I think the point is that there are a number of justifications – I was just following orders, if I don’t do it someone else will, my minor contribution won’t make a big difference – that don’t pass the morality pub test.
Besides there are more self interested rationales for increasing vehicle and fuel efficiency, like cleaner cities and less outlay at the bowser. Why should drivers of sensible vehicles (mainly women?) be forced to drive inferior vehicles to prop up the “I’ve got a big donk” fantasies of the insecure?
For those requiring larger vehicles for their occupations, there are little trade-offs in areas like GST, asset depreciation etc
Wow the weirdos in some comments. Fuel efficiency= savings in fuel both economically and for the environment. The large monster trucks should be included. As for the cost increases the majority of the world have these cars and considering we don’t have a car making industry anymore what’s the problem except ignorance.