Green Car Innovation Fund's final hurrah

The Green Car Innovation Fund continues to sponsor interesting new projects, despite the obituary written for the government scheme.

As the Carsales Network reported previously, the Green Car Innovation Fund (GCIF) has been dropped by the federal government in favour of financing the reconstruction of infrastructure damaged during the floods that afflicted Queensland and Victoria in January and February.

Yet there are still projects in the pipeline earning financial support from the government, under the auspices of the GCIF. Senator Kim Carr, the government's Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research was present on the day of the announcement for the latest such project -- EV Engineering Limited would building seven 'proof of concept' vehicles based on the VE Commodore, but retrofitted with batteries and electric drivetrain components.

The Senator announced that the GCIF would chip in a $3.5 million sum for the $26 million project. He also explained to the press and dignitaries attending that the GCIF remains committed to supporting projects yet to be announced.

"We are technologically neutral," said the Senator, by way of explaining the government's position.

"What we want to do is ensure that we have the capability within this country so that the winners pick themselves. The plan is about driving innovation across the board in a range of green technologies -- whether it be in lightweighting, whether it be in engines, whether it be in batteries, whether it be in fuel systems.

"Of course, that's very much what the Green Car Innovation Fund has been doing. We would have been allocated -- by the time we finish the program -- $500 million. That's attracted $2 billion worth of investment. And these investments have been made at a time when the automotive industry around the world was in retreat.

"[It includes] a range of other component manufacturers -- and many of which we have yet to announce. They're still in the process of [gaining] approval.

"I know there's some disappointment on this very point, but we've been forced to close the fund so that we can fund the recovery efforts for flood-affected communities up and down the east coast of Australia."

Senator Carr subsequently amplified his final remark.

"What we've seen is that people have expressed their disappointment to us. We are talking with the industry -- both domestically and internationally -- to ensure that people understand that Australia remains a very good place to invest, that the Australian government has a very firm commitment to the future prosperity of the automotive industry in Australia."

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