EV direction needed, says Nissan

Strong direction from the federal government would boost public interest in electrified vehicles in Australia, says Nissan Australia boss Stephen Lester.

Speaking at the recent media launch of the second-generation Nissan LEAF in Australia, Lester was predictably bullish about the local prospects of the ground-breaking battery-electric vehicle.

But he admitted true mass acceptance of electrified vehicles – both EVs and hybrids – would require the involvement of the freshly re-elected Morrison Liberal-National coalition government.

“In the absence of government direction any change within society is almost impossible to get over … because they are supposed to represent the people,” he said.

“We need government to stand up and take a stance to support that change through a variety of measures that can be developed — some of which have already been proposed.

“[They] can give consumers then the confidence that this isn’t somehow going to go in another direction, that they are somehow going to be disadvantaged by that choice down the road.”

The federal government has yet to announce any sort of policy to encourage transition from orthodox internal combustion engines to electrification.

It actually run an anti-EV campaign at the last federal election declaring Labor’s EV policies threatened the future of utes.

Plans to tighten emissions and fuel quality standards have both been in the works for years. Both would drive ICE vehicles higher in price and closer to a pricing crossover with EVs.

The automotive industry’s Canberra lobbying body, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), has resumed discussions with the new government over vehicle policy settings.

“I think we will see even with the new federal government in place some direction at some point to suggest that ‘here’s what we are going to do’,” Lester predicted.

“There are a lot of things they can do that don’t have to be so significant in their monetary movement.”

Lester emphasised the core role the auto industry should play along with government to create the environment to popularise electrified vehicles.

“We need all manufacturers to look at electrification as a main thing around our business and that’s how we can all support the change,” he said.

“The onus is on all of us to bring products to market that people like, want and need.”

He also called on the auto industry to partner with energy providers and recharging businesses to help overcome the public concern about EV range and recharging logistics.

“Until we get over a couple of those hurdles it’s tough to get the whole [electrified] stream moving,” he admitted.

Nissan Australia has received about 12,500 expressions of interest for the new LEAF, including more than 500 quote requests. An unspecified number of deposits have been placed.

The original Nissan LEAF, which went on sale in 2012, found 635 customers in four years in Australia. Nissan expects to sell more than that in the second generation’s first year on- ale.

By 2022 Nissan forecasts 30 per cent of its Australian range will be electrified. The next step toward that goal is expected to be the arrival of the more powerful and expensive LEAF e+.