Australia out of step with Kia's EV plans

Korean brand Kia expects to have 11 dedicated electric vehicles available in markets around the world by 2026, accounting for up to 25 per cent of the company's global sales.

Few of those sales will come from Australia though, suggests Kia Australia COO, Damien Meredith. That's a consequence of our smaller market of course, but also our national reluctance to deal with climate change.

"I think it would be fair to say... that supply goes to those markets that have legislation in place to ensure that there’s a lower CO2 output than in Australia," Meredith told journalists attending the Australian Open last week.

The Kia exec's comments follow in the wake of cancelled plans for the Kia e-Niro (pictured) to debut at the tennis. Meredith, not a fan of monetary incentives himself, believes nonetheless that EVs need a hand up in this country if those concerned for the environment want to see electric cars on the streets of Australia in larger numbers. That's because of our entrenched automotive culture.

"We’re unique in that we’re as big as the United States, but there’s no people between the east coast and the west coast.

"So that’s one challenge.

"The other challenge... we have a residual mentality – Australians – and we still think, whether we do it or not, that we’re living in Sydney; maybe once or twice a year we’re going to drive to Melbourne.

"And then vice versa if we live in Melbourne; once or twice a year we think we’re going to drive to Sydney. Or... we’re going to drive to the Gold Coast.

"That plays a big part in what percentage of EVs are going to come into play down the track, because until the infrastructure is in place, our percentages are going to be a lot less than the rest of the world is going to be.

"What has to drive this is infrastructure and legislation...

"Every automotive manufacturer in the world has invested heavily in EVs.

"The legislation has to catch up, and then we’ll be in a better place.

"Until then, there’s still going to be LandCruisers being sold; there’s still going to be Rangers being sold..."

What that indicates is that the population at large may have to change its thinking – and then make government accountable for facilitating the legislative changes necessary to make EVs viable.

"If we want a clean world – and that’s basically what we’re talking about here – the government’s role is to help infrastructure... to make sure that if one of us does want to drive from the Gold Coast to Sydney they can do that and feel safe..."

Meredith does admit, however, that electric cars raise "so many questions" that "need to be answered."

One example highlighted by the on-going bushfire catastrophe is the case of a family fleeing a bushfire in their electric car. What if the EV is not fully charged as the fire approaches, Meredith asked. There won’t necessarily be power available from the grid to recharge it and make their escape, if power lines have been brought down by the fire.

In a broader context too, limited supply of cobalt will limit the ability to build electric cars in the sort of numbers Kia proposes – unless new technology can take that mineral out of the picture.

Just a couple of Meredith's "many questions".